The Legend of the Pearl Medallion
by Potterdancer616
Summary: Lily Evans is bored with her rich life. She wishes that a handsome pirate would take her away. What happens when Captain Potter does, and why is he interested in her necklace? Full of swashbuckling romance and adventure!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer- I do not and sadly never will own Harry Potter. It all belongs to J.K. Rowling and I have simply sailed away with her characters!

A lonely girl stood on the deck with her red hair loose and cascading down her back in curls. Her bright emerald-green eyes shined as she looked out at the sea. She closed them and breathed in the salty air. Yes, Lily Evans was happy to be leaving the strict confines of England. Her father was to be governor of Port John, and island in the Caribbean that belonged to England. England was full of snobby rich people that cared only about rank and thrived on scandals that could ruin people.

She wasn't like that.

"Lillian," a voice called from behind her. Lily cringed and turned around.

"Yes, Mother?"

"What are you doing up here? Go back down below. Just look at your hair and clothes! They will be ruined. Sometimes I just don't know what to do with you. How will you ever find a husband? Do you want to disgrace your family?"

"No Mother, but-"

"Lillian," another voice called. Lily sighed, there really was no such thing as peace.

"Yes, Father?" she answered turning towards him.

"You should listen to your mother. However, I would like to talk to you about- other matters."

Lily nodded and allowed him to continue, she knew that she had no choice but to follow and listen to him.

"Lillian, you should know that these waters are filled with pirates, nasty and dirty pirates. If we were to see a pirate ship, you are to hide, is that understood?"

"Father, I highly doubt-"Lily began.

"Is that understood?"

Lily sighed, "Yes father, I shall."

Governor Evans walked away leaving Lily to her own thoughts. She was tired of her parents' nagging. Her mother was the worst. "Lillian, you'll never get a husband if…" and "What will your husband say Lillian?" She wasn't ready for marriage, thank you very much. At least not with any of the men in England. They were to prim and proper. Too snobbish or fat or old, like her sister, Petunia's husband, Vernon Dursley. The Fat Whale married the Prudish Horse, as Lily liked to refer to them as. Now, a roguish pirate, that would be more exciting! She sighed, yes, a pirate would go against everything her parents believed in and therefore would be perfect. Her mother never failed to point out her flaws and correct Lily in the most demeaning manor, always pointing out how much better Petunia was. Her father didn't care as much as long as she was married off to the highest bidder.

Lily sighed and smoothed out her pale green dress and straightened her pendant necklace that she always wore. She turned back towards her cabin and glanced back towards the ocean. There was a speck on the horizon. What was that? She walked closer towards the railing to get a better look. Was that a ship? She squinted her eyes and looked harder. Yes, it was. She called up to the watchman, asking if he saw a ship, too.

"Yes miss, it looks to be another ship," the man replied.

"Well, what colors is it flying?" she asked, getting agitated. The watchman looked out of his spy glass again.

"Bloody hell," he mouthed, "Captain, Captain, ship on the horizon! Not flying any colors! Looks to be a pirate ship!"

Lily gasped. Pirates! Instantly the ship crew started to prepare for a battle. Lily, remembering her father's words, went to hide. Making her way past the scurrying men and canons, she made her way to the cargo department. She looked around for a place to hide. Above her head she heard the canons pounding and yells of men. She heard people boarding and the shots of rifles. How did they catch up so quickly? She heard people getting closer to the room and she realized that she needed to hide quickly. She dove into a box filled with dresses and waited with baited breath. She heard the door open and a man was talking.

"Take what you can and make sure it's worth somethin',"

"Aye," a second man replied, "but what about the Governor's daughter? I think she would fetch a pretty penny."

Lily took an intake of breath.

"Aye, she would. The captain has special plans for her." Lily could almost hear the smirk on his face.

Lily started to sweat nervously. The conversation had stopped and she heard the, rummaging through boxes of gold, spices, and fabrics. She prayed that they wouldn't check through the dresses and find her. She heard them calling for more men to take the boxes of riches away. The battle above seemed to be done. Lily heard footsteps slowly coming toward her. She held her breath hoping they wouldn't look through the dresses. The footsteps kept coming towards her. She felt the dresses covering her rustle and she knew she had been found.

"Look what we have here, mates," a man said. Lily looked up and met grey eyes. The man was 6'2 and had black hair that fell elegantly into his eyes. If he wasn't a pirate and she wasn't in the predicament she was in, she would say that he was handsome.

"Oi, Sirius, what are you on about?" a man called.

"Well, it looks as if there's a stowaway- or maybe we finally found the governor's daughter," the man named Sirius said.

Lily felt herself being pulled out of her hiding space roughly. She looked around the hold and saw many men, no, pirates.

"I'll just take her to the captain, he'll be happy we found a flower like this," Sirius said grinning. Lily struggles against his hold and growled.

"Now miss, let's be more lady-like," he said, smirking.

"Let me go you foul excuse of a human," Lily growled, stomping on his foot and continuing, "What were you looking for in the dresses anyhow? Looking for a dress to match your eyes," she was smirking now.

Quick as a wink, Sirius tool out his knife and held it to her throat, "If you were smart, you would know to keep your mouth closed and not to anger a pirate," he threatened. Lily glared, but kept silent.

They kept walking until they reached to the top deck and walked into the sun. Lily squinted and looked around, adjusting her eyes to the light. She found her father and mother being held by pirates. There was a tall man about 6'4 with messy black hair and mysterious hazel eyes. He was standing next to her parents and surveying the loot the other pirates were bringing up.

Sirius led Lily up to the man and she saw her father's eyes widen. Lily held her head up high as she was led and didn't flinch as the steely glint of the dagger came closer to her skin.

"Captain Potter," Sirius said. The man turned towards him, "I found the governor's daughter." The captain nodded and looked over her. His eyes held lust and Lily was disgusted. She fixed a glare on him and spoke,

"What so you want with this ship, its contents, and my father?"

"Why, Miss Evans, I'm a pirate, what wouldn't I want?" He smirked. His eyes stopped roaming her and landed on her neck, where the gold necklace lay. It was a pendant with pearls on the medallion part. Instantly Lily's hand flew up to the necklace, hoping he didn't ask for it.

"Miss Evans, how about we take a stroll to decide what is to become of this ship, its contents, and your father?" He said.

Lily nodded, knowing she had no choice but to accept. They walked a little ways away from her father before he started to speak.

"Where did you get that necklace?" He started.

Lily placed a hang on the necklace and thought back to when her brother, Paul, had given it to her. She remembered him pressing it into her hands with a sad look in his eyes saying that she should keep it close and safe. She never saw him again after that day. He was killed at sea. Paul was her favorite sibling and her best friend. He understood her and protected her from her parents and Petunia's nasty remarks. Lily swallowed, forcing back the tears before answering, "My brother gave it to me."

The captain nodded and started speaking again, "Miss Evans, we will leave your parents and ship in one piece; however, we will be taking the cargo and you."

Lily looked up in shock. Why did they want her?

"Sir, I must ask why you want me, and then, I must refuse! I cannot and will not go with filthy pirates like you," she sniffed, turning her nose up at him. Potter just grinned.

"Well, lucky for us, it is not up for debate, and my reasoning is of no concern to you. Sirius, Remus, please escort Miss Evans to the Marauder," and with that Sirius and a sandy haired man with blue eyes stood up and took her by the arms, leading her to the gang plank connecting the Ambassador and the Marauder before she could even protest.

"Let me go! I demand to be released at once! Filthy, damn pirates!" she screamed, struggling.

"Ah- Ah Miss Evans, we must watch that mouth. Ladies don't speak like that," Sirius said, gagging her. Lily's eyes sparkled in rage as she sent a glare at him. She'll show him how ladies speak; she knew a couple good ones from her brother…

Lily looked back towards her parents. Her mother held a cold gaze, only sad that she wouldn't have a daughter to marry off to some rich duke so she could reap the benefits. Her father looked as though he had only lost a favorite pet. She knew that her father had lost many of his emotions after his pride and joy, Paul, died.

Lily turned away from her parents in disgust and set her eyes on the pirate ship in front of her. They forced her across the gang plank and onto the ship.

The ship wasn't a bad ship. It had an elegant look to it and it was clean looking. The battle must not have been a bad one. The flag, she noticed that must have been raised in battle, was a black flag with a skeleton holding treasure in one hand and a cutlass in the other. She wrinkled her nose as she saw the red "blood" on the cutlass. Lily sighed. She realized this would be her home forever, or until they got a heart and let her off. Or came to their senses. Lily snorted at the thought of the pirated gaining a heart and brain, particularly the captain.

She felt a rough hand from behind push her to go forward. Lily felt her feet move. She wondered where to head. She had no idea of what her status was on the ship.

Sirius and Remus led her to a small room. Sirius pushed her inside, and with a malicious grin, locked the door.

Lily sighed and looked about her surroundings. It was a small cubic room. It smelled stale and she took off the gag. That fool of a pirate forgot to tie up her hands. She smirked at this and realized that he really was as stupid as he looked. She started to wonder if she was to stay here as a guest or prisoner. Maybe she would be a crew member. Lily thought back to the days when she wished a handsome pirate would take her away. Sure, she would be a crew member, but he would love her and they would have fun roaming the seas. Okay, she had her mini fantasy, time to wake up and go home. It wasn't even how she wanted it to go. They were all pigs!

Lily sighed as she shook herself from her daydream. Her old fantasy had turned into a nightmare. She silently cursed herself for her silly dreams. Pirates were nothing more than filthy men with no manners or morals. Who cared if the captain just happened to be really handsome? He was absolutely infuriating.

However, there was this mysterious aura surrounding him. She wondered what had happened to him to get the hardened look in his eyes.

Alone with these thoughts, Lily fell into a deep sleep filled with dashing pirates coming to her rescue and mysterious captains.

A/N- This is my first fan fiction! Be nice please and I hope y'all enjoy!


	2. Chapter 2

Lily awoke the next morning to hunger pains. She hadn't eaten since yesterday's breakfast and she was starving. She didn't know if she was even going to be fed on this journey. Obviously they would want to keep her alive, otherwise why would they have bargained for her? Still, they were pirates and might not have understood what a normal person's necessities were.

Lily walked to the door and knocked on it. Was there a guard out there? She started knocking again. There was no answer. She slumped down and tears started to trickle down her face. She was all alone on a strange ship in the middle of the ocean.

Captain James "Prongs" Potter was walking on the deck of his ship, the Marauder, looking out at the ocean. He was a pirate and damn proud of it, too. His Uncle Jack had raised him that way.

James' mother, Marie Chevalier Potter, was a daughter of a noble, who had been thrown out when she fell in love with the stable hand and gotten pregnant by him. They ended up moving into the slums of London, where James was born after they had married.

James' father, Harold Potter, worked hard to support his small family as a blacksmith. He was an honest man who loved his family dearly.

However, they were extremely poor and not doing well, until dear Uncle Jack came along.

Yes, Jacques Chevalier was an angel sent from heaven. Jacques was Marie's father's brother who lived in France and was well known as a privateer for the French. Jacques and his brother, Philippe, disagreed on much, so Jacques was only happy to help out his favorite distressed niece.

Uncle Jack gladly gave money and spent time with James, helping out whenever he could. However, the summer after James' 5th birthday turned out to be a disastrous one.

Plague was fairly common in London due to the close vicinity and inadequate water supplies and soon after, Harold got the disease as well. Fearing for his son's life, he contacted Jacques to take him away. James never saw his father again.

James shifted his thoughts to when his uncle took him on his first boat trip. James remembered it clearly. They were traveling down to the Caribbean, where he and his uncle were going to start a new life. James was only six and a half. While in the Caribbean Jacques privateer jobs turned to pirating, and Uncle Jack became captain of his own ship.

James sailed with his uncle and learned everything there was about a ship. He knew every job from cabin boy to captain of the ship. He'd been through storms and famine, and his Uncle Jack was there with him since the beginning and every step of the way.

Uncle Jack had retired now and lived in Jamaica on his own plantation. He had given James _The Marauder_ once he was seventeen. God, had it only been two years?

He reflected on his best mates for life and his first and second mates on the ship, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. They had been sailing together since the days of cabin boys. James knew that they would follow him into Davy Jones' locker and back. He would do the same for them.

His thoughts then turned to the person locked in a cabin below. Miss Lillian Evans, daughter of the soon to be governor of Port John. There was no denying the attractive qualities of Miss Evans and he knew that his thoughts before would have made even a wench blush, but why did she have that medallion? How did she get it? The one thing he'd been looking for and then Miss Evans' ship comes floating by and he finds it! Who gave it to her? And what the hell was he going to do with her now that she was on his ship?

Captain Potter sighed. He was going to have to talk to the girl.

Lily lifted her head as she heard footsteps coming closer to the door. Scrambling up, she took a post next to the table and waited. She looked down at her dress to make sure she looked respectable, and then reprimanded herself, Lily, you're with pirates, why would they care or why should you?

The door swung open and Captain Potter stepped in. Lily lifted he chin in defiance. He slowly strode into the room. Lily almost snorted in amusement. Captain Potter must have thought she was frightened. As he swaggered in, he shut the door and walked in front of her. There was a silent battle going on to see who would talk first. Potter gave in.

"Miss Evans, I hope you find your accommodations suitable."

"Oh, yes, they are quite fine for what you will find on a –pirate ship," sniffed Lily. Potter scowled.

"Remus will be bringing food by soon, so I advise you to eat it and be happy with it. You're not going to find anything else," with that, the man walked out of the room banging the door shut.

Food. Lily was hungry, but was their food trustworthy? What if was poisoned, or, or drugged! That's it! Why else would they want a woman on board other than to drug her and then have their wicked way with her? She gulped. Dear God. What was she going to do? She was stuck on a pirate ship against her will and was going to be drugged and raped.

Remus Lupin knocked and walked in with a wooden bowl, Lily could smell the "food" and almost gagged.

"_What_ is that?" She asked. Remus grinned sheepishly –definitely suspicious, Lily thought.

"It's called gruel," he said and set it down on the table. Lily walked over to the table and peered into the bowl. The gruel was a mushy grey…blob of food, if it could be called that.

"Well, you can tell the chef that I admire his –attempt –but I am simply not hungry and must decline the food so graciously offered," Lily said, pushing the food away. Remus looked mildly amused and simply took up the food.

"Miss Evans, it may not look appetizing now, but after a few days your taste buds may be saying differently," and with that he walked out of the room. Lily sighed a breath of relief. That was one disaster avoided. Now, how to get off the ship…

Remus Lupin entered the Captain's quarters still carrying the bowl of gruel. James looked up from his maps and gave him a questioning glance.

"Miss Evans decided to ah –how did she say it –'decline the food so graciously offered'," Remus said, snorting his amusement.

"Damn that girl. What is she thinking? Oh well, she'll be crying for food later," James said, smirking.

"James, you need to understand that Miss Evans is not accustomed to us or our customs. You should show patience and kindness to the poor girl. She has been taken from both of her parents and now probably fears for her life –or at least her innocence," Remus explained. Good old reasonable Remus, James thought, always the voice of reason.

"Remus, you know we can't hurt her or do anything of that type. Evans would kill us," James responded.

"Just thought to remind you and explain her thoughts," he said. "Well, I should probably be getting back to my duties. Need to make sure Sirius isn't getting into any trouble," Remus said, walking towards the door. James nodded and let him leave. Leaning back into the chair, James reflected on the girl in the cabin down the hall. Did she just not eat to frustrate him? Damn it, that girl will be the death of me, he resolved.

Lily Evans was starving. She hadn't eaten in a week. She had been gargling water in order to not drink anything but remain hydrated. Remus walked in and brought the usual bowl of gruel. Lily stood and declined the gruel with a shake of the head.

"Miss Evans, I must beg you to eat," Remus started, "I cannot be held accountable if you die on my watch."

"I have told you Mr. Lupin, I am simply not hungry."

"Miss Evans, I am going to leave this here so you can think about your hunger," Remus said, leaving the bowl on the table and walking out of the door.

Remus kept walking until he reached James' cabin. Sighing, he knocked and stepped in.

"James, she refused to eat again," Remus said, looking at the captain. James looked up.

"What, how is she not giving in?" He asked, sounding angry.

"James, I left the food, and she looks hungry, but I don't think she's going to eat. I don't know what's keeping her, but she's refused everything!"

"Damnation! That girl will eat, even if I have to force it down her throat!" and with that James stormed out of the cabin, slamming the door shut. Remus sighed; whatever was to go down would not be pretty. Both Miss Evans and the Captain were the most stubborn people he knew. He sighed again. This was going to be a long voyage.


	3. Chapter 3

Lily was staring at the gruel. A long debate was going on in her mind. To eat or not to eat… that is the question. A million different thoughts were running on the consequences and none looked pretty. Lily sighed, what she wouldn't give to be around her overbearing mother or even her horsey sister. She could grudgingly admit that she missed them.

While musing, Lily heard footsteps coming towards her cabin. Was Remus coming back to get the food? No, these footsteps were faster, and they were pounding the wood floor.

The door swung open to reveal Captain James Potter in full wrath. Lily scrambled to stand up, and saw Potter storm into the room as if he was on a war path.

"So, have you decided not to eat just to defy me?" he exploded.

"Why? Is it bothering you?" she smirked.

"No, of course it's not bloody bothering me!" he yelled.

"Oh, really? Because I am quite sure that if it wasn't bothering you, you wouldn't be here, Captain."

"You infuriating, ungrateful brat!" James yelled, "Just because the food isn't what it's like in 'Your Majesty's' castle, doesn't mean you shouldn't eat it!"

"Well, I'll have you know," Lily started, her voice gradually rising, "I didn't eat the mush you call food because it's unappetizing, which should be noted because it is, but I didn't want to be drugged you simple minded, ugly, pig of a PIRATE!"

"What! You think we would drug you? Dear God, how stupid, self-centered, and simple-minded can you get?"

"Of course I think it's drugged! And who are you to call me simple-minded when you are nothing but a –a –PIRATE!"

"Pirate? Is that the best you can come up with? Well, Miss Evans, for your information, we would gain no benefits from drugging you and having our 'wicked way' since it would just be easier to make port and find a more _appeasing_ wench to have fun with," James said, calming down with a smirk. This only seemed to infuriate Lily further.

"Urg! I can't believe you! You sir are no gentleman-"

"And you madam, are no lady," James responded. "Now, since we have clearly determined that the food is not drugged and your innocence is safe, will you please eat?"

"Why should I trust your word? Not to mention the food looks spoiled…"

"I know something else that's spoiled," James murmured underneath his breath.

"What did you just say?" Lily asked, her eyes narrowing.

"Nothing at all, Miss Evans. Now, I haven't a clue as to why you just won't it the damn food. Just sit down and eat it or I will shove it down your throat," James said, starting to lose his temper.

"No, I don't think I will." With that, James grabbed his sword, pushed Lily into a chair and held the sword to her neck. Lily's eyes visibly widened.

"Now that I have your full attention and cooperation, I command you, Miss Evans, to eat."

Lily could feel the retort bubbling to her throat but quickly swallowed it as the sword came closer. She tentatively pulled the bowl closer to her and picked up the spoon. She stirred the gruel around a couple of times and then pinched her nose. Slowly, she lifted the spoon to her lips and pushed the food in and swallowed. The gruel tasted just as bad as it looked and smelled.

Lily started to push the bowl away, but James just put the sword closer, "Potter, I ate, you can put your sword away."

"Now, now Miss Evans, I won't sheath my sword until you are fully done." Lily scowled and pulled the bowl close again and scooped up more gruel.

Once Lily was done, she heard the sound of the sword being put back into it sheath. She breathed a sigh of relief and stood up facing Captain Potter. Her stomach started to gurgle and Lily quickly grabbed the chair in support as the stomach pains worsened. James, seeing Lily turn green, grabbed a bucket and thrust it in her direction. Lily grabbed it and started throwing up the gruel. She was miserable.

"Sirius will be back and you will continue eating until you no longer throw-up," James said, walking out of the door without glancing at Lily.

Lily kept heaving until there was nothing left in her stomach. She looked up as she heard the door open and mentally groaned as Sirius Black came swaggering into the cabin. He had a smirk in place Lily almost groaned aloud as she was the steaming bucket of gruel in his hands. Clearly, Mr. Black was enjoying her discomfort.

"Miss Evans, the captain has informed me that you may need some… persuasion to eat this –ah –lovely meal."

"Well, you can inform him that I am no longer a child and do not need anyone's supervision while I eat," Lily said, tilting her head in defiance.

"Oh, well you see Miss Evans, I was so looking forward to it, and you know what? I'm not so sure I can trust you," he said, smirking and unsheathing his sword. "Now," he placed the bowl down, "eat."

Lily glared at him and took the spoon. The gruel tasted worse the second time around and Lily couldn't stomach a full bowl. She grabbed the bucket and heaved. Sirius kept the sword close and she kept eating. It wasn't until dusk when she could keep the "food" down. Sirius smiled triumphantly and sheathed his sword. Smirking, he left the room with a swagger.

Lily groaned and sat down on the bed. She felt sick and disgusting. She groaned as she lay down and her stomach rolled. She felt hot and wanted to throw the contents of her stomach out again. She shimmied out of her dress and stays until she was only in her shift. She sighed and tried to snuggle into her thin sheets on the bunk. She felt tears slip onto her cheeks as her stomach rumbled and she wished she was home.


	4. Chapter 4

Lily woke up to a knock on her cabin door. Blinking her eyes blearily, she slowly sat up in bed. She got out of bed and noticed her dress was on the back of the chair where she had left it last night. She headed towards her dress. Suddenly, the door swung open and Captain James Potter stepped through.

"Miss Evans –," he started, and then heard a yelp. Lily tried to cover herself with her arms and ran over to her dress, but it was to lat. He had already seen her in nothing but her thin shift.

"Captain Potter!" Lily screeched, a blush spreading through her body as James could easily see. Then, her embarrassment quickly turned to anger as Potter stood there completely gob smacked.

"I must insist, _Captain_ that you remember to knock before you enter my cabin. How can you have the audacity to come in here! URG! Have you no decency? No honor?"

"Miss Evans, why don't you just put on the bloody dress!? One would think you enjoy running around in your underwear!" James said, backing away from the red head.

"Well I can't bloody well do that with you standing there, now can I?" she fumed. James simply backed out and waited for her to finish. He walked back in as he heard her say, "Come in."

Lily was wearing the dress she had been wearing for the last week. It was a little dirty and her hair hung limp. She really wanted to bathe, but couldn't risk it on this _pirate_ ship. Potter had just barged into her with only her shift on; who knew what would happen if she bathed.

Lily looked at the captain and raised an eyebrow at him. "Well, you wanted to talk, didn't you?" she asked calmly.

James stared at her bewildered. How could she go from fuming to calm in less than three minutes? It was a little scary.

"Yes, Miss Evans, we are coming upon a ship and I must request that you stay in the cabin," he started, but was quickly interrupted.

"What, why?"

"Well, we wouldn't want you killed or taken in midst of battle. My crew and I won't harm you or your innocence, but I cannot promise you about other ships," he said giving a slight smirk. With that, James strode out of the door and Lily heard the lock click. She sat back down on her bed and quickly wiped her tears away.

As James was walking onto the deck, he thought back to the red-headed vixen down below. He remembered how she looked standing there with nothing but her shift and a petrified look on her face. The shift was so white and light that he could see through it. There was no denying the fact that she was beautiful. He would like nothing more than to have walked up to her and thrown off the – No, stop thinking of her like that! He mentally shook himself, no matter how alluring she looked with her long red tousled hair, flushed skin, red kissable lips, and sparkling emerald eyes. Dear God! He was going into battle and needed to get a hold of himself.

James looked out onto the sea and out to the oncoming ship. It was _The Morsmordre_ that was heading towards _The Marauder_. It was the dreaded ship of Captain Tom Marvolo Riddle. Riddle was the most fearsome, grotesque, brutal, and murderous pirate in the seas, and James knew why he was being tailed by him.

Riddle, like all pirates, had heard about the legend of the Medallion. The Medallion that led to the greatest treasure of all time. The Medallion that James and Riddle were both searching for. The Medallion that a Miss Lily Evans currently was wearing around her neck. How in the bloody world did _he_ know about the Medallion being on his ship? Damn, there must be a spy amongst his crew. He would be more wary about information from now on.

He wearily looked back to the ship and started issuing commands to prepare for battle. He walked up to the wheel and kept squinting towards _The Morsmordre_. Yes, this would be a good battle.


	5. Chapter 5

He heard the canons on the other ship start roaring and James watched as Sirius scurried to get beside James.

"Orders, Captain," he said, standing at full attention.

"Give 'em hell," James said smirking.

He heard Sirius yell "FIRE!" and heard the pounding of the canons as James and his crew sprung into action as _The Morsmordre _came into range.

James ran onto the lower deck, unsheathing his sword and pistol. He smiled as he saw Riddle on the foredeck of _The Morsmordre_.

Grappling hooks flew to both ships, connecting them together. Men from the masts flew and landed onto the decks. Clanging swords and shots from pistols ran through the sky.

James started to fight the man closest to him, quickly stabbing him and moving onto his next opponent. He wasn't worried about the crew. They were easy to take care of. He simply wanted to reach Captain Riddle and let the real fight begin.

Meanwhile, he looked around and spotted Sirius fighting a man he knew as Lucius Malfoy. Rotten man, he was. He put on to many airs and was pretty high up and close to the Captain. James saw Remus dueling Ruldolphus Lestrange, a nasty man who enjoyed torture a little too much. James scanned the crowds again and continued to look for Riddle.

Ah ha! There he was, taking a plank onto _The Marauder_. Damn, what was he doing on my ship? James thought murderously. He shook his head to clear it and started to fight his way to the dangerous pirate.

"So, Captain Potter, we finally meet again. It really has been too long," Riddle said, giving James a sneer.

"No, I really could have waited a decade or three before I saw you again," James replied, getting his sword ready for battle.

Captain Riddle lunged forward and the sound of dueling swords rang through the air.

"Now, Captain Potter, I am beginning to think that you don't look forward to our meetings," _clang, clang_.

"On the contrary, I enjoy nothing more than seeing my men die and watch my ship get blasted to pieces every time we meet," he replied sarcastically, _swish, clang, snap._

"You know how to fix those issues; all you have to do is hand over the medallion." _Clang, swish, swish._

"How are you even sure that I have the medallion. I myself can't even remember anything about a medallion," _snap, clang, cling._

"Well, Captain Potter, it appears you have a rat on board, and I'm not talking about the disease infected kind. Although I'm sure this man may have one or two," _cling, clang, and swish._

"Really? Care to tell me who?" _swish, swish, cling._

"No, I think I will let you catch him yourself, after all, you need to use that mind of yours more often," _cling, swish, snap._

Slowly, James started to get the upper hand. They were fighting dangerously close to the edge of the boat. Their swords were dancing in a most dangerous dance that could easily lead to death for either Captain.

James was backing up until he felt his back hit something. He chanced a glance over his shoulder and found that he was on the edge. There was nothing but waves and water down below.

With renewed energy, James thrust his sword and changed positions with Riddle. Riddle, seeing his predicament, renewed the fight with more vigor.

_Slashes _and _clangs _rang through the air. The taunting had stopped and now the men were only fighting with their swords.

Suddenly, James felt a searing pain in his side. He chanced a look down and saw that his side was cut with blood trickling down and Riddle was looking at him with a feral grin.

James lunged and the fight kept going. Riddle and he were both nicked, but James knew the fight had to stop soon. He was losing too much blood.

Finally, Riddle was extremely close to the edge. For a moment, James could see the flash of fear in his eyes.

"Potter, you may think to get rid of me, but you never will. I will be hanging over you for as long as you live. I will always be there to get you and your future sons and theirs. It will never end," he snarled.

"Think again Riddle, it ends today," and with that, James gave one last thrust and sent Riddle over the edge. He looked over to the water and saw only bubbles from where Riddle had entered the water.

Still hearing the sounds of battle, James quickly looked towards Sirius. He had stopped fighting Malfoy. Malfoy was looking for his captain. Not finding Riddle anywhere, he called the crew of _The Morsmordre_ back to the ship.

The planks were lifted and ropes cut as _The Morsmordre _made a quick getaway with _The Marauder_ still firing canons.

James heard his men give a hearty cheer as they watched the "lily-livered cowards" run.

Still holding his wound tight, James started ordering commands to deal with the dead and wounded. The ship's surgeon would have a busy night.

Elated from his victory over Riddle, James couldn't help but grin. He saw Sirius and Remus come up to him and they too had grins.

"Finally beat him, ay Jamesie?" Sirius said, clapping him on the back. James felt his side throb.

"While the victory is exciting, by the way, congratulations, we should be worrying about how he found out about the medallion," Remus said, always the voice of reason.

James sighed, "I have no clue. We haven't told anyone that Miss Evans has it. The rat must be listening through the walls."

"Ahh, like a true rat," Sirius said.

"Yes, and that's what worries me," James said, wincing as he pressed harder to stop the bleeding.

"Mate, you should get that looked at," Sirius said, eyeing the bloody spot.

"Let my crew be treated first, they are more important."

"James, listen to Sirius, he's right. Did I just say that?" Remus said.

"Hey! I resent that! I'll have you know that I am right a lot of times. I'm actually quite smart. Right, James?"

" –."

"Thanks mate."


	6. Chapter 6

Lily heard the sounds of battle quieting and she breathed a sigh of relief. She had no clue what the outcome of the battle was, but she could only hope that the other ship had lost.

She glanced up as she heard the sound of footsteps coming closer to her cabin door. Lily stood up and grabbed a candle holder and hid in the shadows near the door. Slowly, the door opened and a tall figure emerged. Lily crept up behind him and lifted the candle holder. The figure turned around quickly as she swung the weapon. He ducked quickly and fell towards the ground cursing.

"Damn it, Miss Evans, it's Captain Potter!"

"Oh dear God," Lily said, "Thank the Lord it's you. I don't think I've been happier to see you in my life!"

"Yes, well now that I know I'm appreciated, would you mind dropping your weapon and helping me up?" he asked.

"Oh, of course, I really am sorry Captain. I thought you were from the other ship," she said, bustling to help him up, "Since you're here, am I to assume that you were successful in your endeavor?"

"Yes, in fact, I successfully killed the captain," he said, sitting down in a chair. His wound was now throbbing and he was feeling slightly woozy. "That man had been a pain in my arse for a long time." Lily only nodded, not knowing what to say, she bustled around lighting all the lanterns to give some light to the room.

"Who was the man?" she asked.

"No one of consequence or importance," he replied, getting a faraway look in his eye. Shaking himself, he continued, "We will be making an unplanned port. My ship has sustained numerous damages that must be repaired. However, what I really want to talk about is your education."

"My education?" she queried. "Captain Potter, I assure I am quite learned in many and most areas. I have no idea what _you _could teach _me_."

"Really, Miss Evans?" he asked coldly, "Well, I just thought this if you or your innocence, which is so dearly important to you, were in danger, you would want a better choice of weapon than a mere _candlestick_." His voice had quickly turned into a sneer, "Unless of course they teach pirate swordplay in finishing school."

Lily blushed and quickly looked away. "Captain Potter, I am sorry for my sharp tongue," she swallowed, "I think I would be… pleased, if you taught me to fight."

James nodded and got up. He stumbled and gasped as a searing pain went through his side and his head started spinning. Lily rushed to help him and glanced down at his side. The shirt was slashed and blood was seeping out of the wound.

"Captain Potter! Why didn't you go to the ship's doctor?" she heard him mumble something about his crew and that the wound was nothing.

"Not bad!" she shrieked. "Are you insane?! You lie down on that bed and take off your shirt. No! Don't you dare move!" Lily had pushed him into a bunk and had gone to get the bucket of water that was in her room. She looked around everywhere for a clean rag, but could find none.

Finally, she reached down to her petticoat and ripped some cloth off. Dipping it into the water, she gently cleansed the wound.

James hissed every time she applied pressure, but Lily was diligent in her work. She reached into her pocket once the wound was clean and reached for some thread and a needle. Carefully and slowly, she stitched the wound together. James had broken into a sweat and Lily hoped he wasn't ill with an infection.

When she was done, she ripped another length of cloth and wrapped it around his waist for a bandage. She ripped another piece and started mopping his forehead with a cool cloth.

Lily looked down at his chest and couldn't help but admire it. She had never seen a man's bare chest and couldn't help but be mildly embarrassed about the way she had badgered him to take off his shirt.

Yes, Captain Potter had a very nice chest. He was very toned and tan. There was no hair and she could see the deep ridges of muscles on his stomach that led to –

Stop it Lily, she thought, mentally shaking herself out of those naughty thoughts. She then shifted her attention to his face. He looked more innocent as he was sleeping, and Lily almost snorted at the thought. His nose was straight and eyebrows nice. His lips were full and he had a slight shadow on his face that gave him a rugged look. The dark swarthy complexion, while not popular at court, suited him and only added to his "pirate" appearance.

Lily lifted her other hand and started to play with his hair. The messy hair, that even as he slept in fever, looked windswept. She didn't think it would be soft due to the wind and salt that must have been present constantly, but as she ran her hands through it, she was surprised.

She looked at the door as she heard a soft knock. She answered with a, "come in," and Remus Lupin walked in.

"Oh! Hello, Mr. Lupin," she whispered, hoping not to wake the sleeping captain, "May I help you?"

"Well, no. You see, I was just wondering where the captain was and it seems as though I have found him. How is he? I told him to visit the surgeon, but he insisted on coming to you," Remus whispered.

Lily blushed slightly, "He was wounded, and I feared infection, so I simply told him to get in bed and rest. He was sort of delirious."

"Yes, I would have thought he would put up a fight. He really doesn't like being told what to do."

"Well, Captain Potter didn't really have much of a choice as I didn't give him one," Lily said proudly.

Remus' eyes started to twinkle as he had to hold a smirk, "Well, it seems as though you have everything in order here, I guess I'll be going. If you need me or Sirius, you can come up to the main deck, alright?"

Lily simply nodded and went back to wiping James' brow. Remus shook his head slightly and walked out.


	7. Chapter 7

Remus Lupin was walking on the main deck towards Sirius, thinking about the conversation he had just had with Miss Evans. Those two were the oddest people he knew. How could they go from bickering to caring in 5 second, he'd never know.

Remus laughed slightly as the image of Lily forcefully pushing a protesting James into bed flitted across his mind.

"What are you laughing at Remie-boy?" Sirius said, smirking while steering the wheel.

"Oh nothing, just thinking about our esteemed captain and his 'guest'."

"What does _she_ have to do with anything?" he asked, grimacing.

"Why do you dislike Miss Evans?"

"More of the principal of what she stands for. That whole nobility shit. I hate it. Plus, she's taking James away from us. Have you noticed how James seems to always be thinking about her?" Sirius grumbled.

Remus sighed. He had noticed James' mind to be slightly preoccupied with Miss Evans, and he should have expected this response from Sirius. Sirius, James, and Remus were like brothers; however, James and Sirius' relationship was closer than real brothers. He shook his head again and climbed back down the stairs to the main deck to help out the other crew members.

Sirius watched as Remus walked away. Yes, Miss Evans got on his last nerve. She brought up ugly memories from his past.

Sirius Orion Black was born in London as the son of a prostitute, Bessie Thatcher. His father, Lord Orion Black, had visited Madame Saint's Brothel for a month, repeatedly and only taking pleasure in Bessie. Eight months later and Sirius came into the world.

Sirius was at the brothel for 7 years, more often than not he was kicked out while his mother took costumers. His mother wasn't the warm and loving type and he had no real relationship with her. She only saw him as another mouth to feed and a boy who had ruined her figure.

From an early age, Sirius had learned how to take care of himself. He was quite good at pick-pocketing and could win in any type of fight.

It wasn't until Sirius was 7 that his mother died from an alcohol poisoning. She had drunk too much bad rum. Sirius wasn't fazed at all and was looking forward to being on his own. That was until someone found his mother's will, which confessed who Sirius' father was and what to do with him. That was the one time the old girl had thought about Sirius, and it was an inconvenience to him.

Forcibly taken to Lord Black, Sirius was most unhappy, hell, he was furious. He hadn't met his father yet and he already despised him.

As he was waiting in the parlor, he looked around in disgust at the lavish furnishings. How could this man live so comfortably while he and his mother had lived in poverty?

Sirius looked to the door and a tall, black haired man walked through. He was dressed in silk breeches and an overcoat. His wig was only slightly powdered and Sirius could see that he got most of his looks from his father.

Lord Black simply looked at his son with disdain, "So, you are the child of that whore, Bessie Thatcher. How do you even know that you are mine? For all I know she could have had ten costumers per day that month."

Sirius simply glared at him. He really hated this man. It was blatantly obvious who his father was, much to Sirius' discontent.

"I guess I'll have to take care of you. I don't know what your worth will be considering you are a bastard son. I don't have any other children since my wife is barren, and I need and heir. Maybe I could pass you off as having been born in marriage." Now Lord Black's face had turned to a calculating stare as he imagined the possibilities.

"Well, what are you doing standing there? Are you stupid as well as dirty? Speak boy!"

"My name is Sirius Black! I don't appreciate you insulting my mother," Sirius said, glaring at him. Bessie may not have been the best, but she was a far sight better than the man that stood in front of him.

"Insolent brat! You will respect your elders and betters. I am your father and therefore your provider. You should be grateful for what I am doing; recognizing you as my son and heir is a high honor. Now, Geoffrey will take you to your new room where you shall get clean and find new clothes. We might just make a gentleman of you yet."

Not waiting for Sirius' reply, Lord Black walked out of the room. Sirius watched as his _father_ walked out of the room and he scowled at him.

A man with the Black livery on and a white powdered wig walked up to him, "Master Sirius," he said, looking down his nose at him, "Lord Black has instructed me to lead you to your quarters. Please follow me."

Sirius followed Geoffrey and looked around at his new home in disdain. So this was to be his new prison, he thought.

After two years in the stifling environment, Sirius couldn't stand it any longer. He hated the restricting clothing, boring lessons, long ceremonies, and terrible beatings he got from doing things wrong. Most of all he hated his father. The man had no fatherly feelings and felt that everyone who wasn't a noble was beneath him. Sirius found that many of his father's friends felt this way as well.

Sirius shuddered at the thought of the way Lord Black treated people without high social standings.

Finally, he decided to run away. He "borrowed" some clothes from one of the stable boys and packed a satchel of food. At night he grabbed his bag, changed clothes, and climbed out of the window, never to see his father again.

That night as Sirius was wandering the streets, he ran into a boy his age and the boy's uncle. At first, Sirius' street sense kicked in, and he tried to ignore the pair. Mr. Jack Chevalier introduced himself and his nephew, James Potter, and offered him a place on his ship. Sirius, eager to leave England and his father, accepted instantly. He and James had been inseparable since.

That's why Sirius Black hated Miss Evans, and he wasn't going to change his mind, no matter how "interesting" James found her to be.

Damn her, he thought. She was ruining everything! Taking away his best mate and brother, she was! Plus, her presence was bringing up the nasty memories of his childhood. Ones that he had spent time carefully building walls around.

Sirius shook his head to stop his thoughts. Yes, he really hated her.


	8. Chapter 8

James woke up groggily and looked around. He shook his head to clear his sleep fogged mind. Looking around, he noticed that he wasn't in his Captain's quarters. Where in the bloody hell was he?

He tried to get up, and then felt a searing pain in his side. With a cry of pain, he fell back down on the bed. Thinking back to when he was last awake, he remembered a battle, yes, with Tom Riddle. He had killed Riddle! Then he remembered visiting Miss Evans and her pushing him into bed. From there he had blacked out.

James looked out to the door as Miss Evans walked in carrying a bucketful of water and a bowl of something. As she got closer, James realized that it didn't smell like gruel, but something better.

"Oh, Captain Potter," Lily said, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Miss Evans, why am I here?"

"Do you not remember, Captain? You have been sick for about three days now because of a wound in your side that had become infected. You've had a fever for a while as well."

James simply nodded, processing it all. "What do you have in the bowl? It smells better than the gruel that's usually served," he said.

"Oh! Well, it turns out if you bother Cook enough, he really is a nasty man, you know. I don't know why you allow him to cook your food, but I think–,"

"Miss Evans, the point please."

"Humph, well anyways, I just stayed down there and told him he had the ingredients to make _something_ better, and he finally consented. I assume this ship will be receiving better food now," she said, looking quite proud of herself.

James stared at her, dumbstruck at her will power. Cook was a big man who was a little intimidating at times. He himself had asked Cook to fix something better and had only gotten a menacing glare out of him. How in the world did this dainty little noble woman go against him?

"Well, Captain Potter, don't just sit there with your mouth hanging open. You need to eat. Mr. Lupin informed me that we'll be making port in a day and I expect you'll want your strength to go, how did Sirius put it, ah yes, _wenching_," she said, looking at James disapprovingly.

James blushed a little, then bristled under her gaze, "Miss Evans, I don't think _my _business is any of _yours_."

Lily just "humphed" and set down the bowl. "I'll just inform Mr. Lupin that you are awake. I know that he will want to talk to you." With that, Lily walked out and closed the door behind her.

James sighed as she walked out and he grabbed the bowl. He sniffed the broth and enjoyed the smell. He hadn't had real food since the last time they had made port. Taking the spoon, he ate one spoonful of the soup. The broth was amazing! Who knew that Cook was such a good cook? He basically gulped the rest of it down without using a spoon and wiped his mouth with his arm.

After his meal, James hesitatingly got out of the bunk. Swaying slightly, James gripped the wall, hoping that he wouldn't rip open the stitches in his side. He breathed deeply as he felt the pain ebbing away.

He headed towards his shirt, which was draped across a chair and he carefully put it on. Just as he was buttoning the last buttons, he heard the door open.

"James! Good to see you up and moving. Better be careful, though. I don't know what Miss Evans will do if she sees you up," Remus said, walking towards James and sitting down at the table.

"Miss Evans has no authority over me. Plus, what she doesn't know won't hurt her. What I want to know is what do you know about my ship? How much will we need to repair and so we need more supplies? I'm sure the men will want to go wench and drink, but I don't want them gone until the ship is repaired," James said, his "captain" face on.

"The ship only has a couple of holes, that we have semi-repaired, but needs more attention. Cook has expressed the need for more supplies. I don't know what's gotten into him, but he has been making a lot better food."

James only chuckled at that, "Well, it seems that Cook has been 'smelling the lilies'."

"He's not the only one, James," Remus said, his eyes twinkling in mirth.

James was about to retort when he heard the door open.

"Jamie-boy!"

"Siri-boy!"

"God, this ship has been so boring without you. I've only had boring old Remus here to occupy my time."

"Hey!"

"Aw, suck it up, Remus, you know it's true," Sirius said.

"I know how to have fun!"

"Yeah, Remus, reading books is a _whole_ lot of fun," James said.

"You know what, I'm going to get you good and drunk, Remus, and you'll have the most amazing time! I'll introduce you to the best girls in town and you'll find some lovely lady to please you," Sirius said, thumping Remus on the back.

"Now Sirius, I don't think…"

"No Remus, the problem is that you think too much. Come on, let's have some fun!"

"Alright Sirius, I'll go with you."

"Now, what about you James?" Sirius started, "When was the last time you took a woman to bed?"

"Sirius, you know I'm not all that interested in wenching. The first couple of times were enough for me. Besides, the sea is my mistress," James said, shaking his head.

"Oh well, more for me and Remus," and with that, Sirius took out a flask of rum and got three glasses out. He poured the rum into the glasses and handed two to Remus and James while keeping one to himself.

"What shall we toast to?" Sirius asked, gripping his glass.

"How about to our health?" Remus suggested.

"Nah, to boring," Sirius said.

"I know, to our soon to be wealth, to the death of Captain Riddle, and to being the luckiest bastards alive!" James said.

"Aye, I'll drink to that."

"Me, too." With that, the three men drank to their past, present, and future.


	9. Chapter 9

The next day Lily was trying to look semi-presentable as she got ready to go into town. She was still wearing the same dress and she had dunked her head in a bucket of water to make her hair look a little better. She hoped to find a dress maker somewhere in town and to order new dresses. She would fight with the captain to get money, since technically the money that they had was hers. His Looking at the mirror for a final time, she walked out of her room to the deck.

On deck, she looked around at her surroundings. The men were scurrying about, preparing to dock. She walked over to the side and looked out onto the horizon. She could see land and couldn't help but smile. It felt like forever since she had seen any green land.

"Enjoying the view?"

Startled, Lily turned around to see Captain Potter standing behind her. Lily's heart started to race at the close proximity they were in. She could clearly see his amazing hazel eyes boring into her. They had flecks of green and blue, too. Wait, what was she thinking? He was in no way handsome, and her heart was racing out of fright. Yes, that was it!

"Yes, I can't wait to be on land. I do need new clothing. I was hoping we could go to a dressmaker's place while we were in town."

"No, you are not going into town," James said, walking to her side and staring out at the water.

"Excuse me" she said, facing him, "and why not?"

"I can't trust you not to run off."

"You don't bloody TRUST ME?"

"No, and honestly don't know why I should. For all I know, you could turn us into the authorities. Also, who knows what kind of trouble you'd get up to?" Lily's anger was slowly rising.

"Hmmmm, I know how you know if you can trust me. I BLOODY WELL TOOK CARE OF YOU FOR 3 BLOODY DAYS!" she was screaming now and had attracted the attention of some of the crew as well as Remus and Sirius. Sirius was clearly taking pleasure in the exchange.

"I don't really think that it is enough to judge upon -"

"I don't care! You will let me go into town or I will sneak off and alert authorities or BLOODY MURDER YOU IN YOUR BED TONIGHT! I feel absolutely disgusting from not having changed and am _very_ irritable."

"What was her excuse before," Sirius whispered to Remus, who hit him in the stomach.

"Now," Lily continued, "I would suggest that you get me off this ship immediately!" Lily was now breathing heavily.

"Oh, you want off this boat do you?" James said, going towards her, with the intent to push her off the ship. Remus, seeing the blazing look in James' eyes, immediately intervened.

"James, I don't see the harm in letting her come. I mean, you have no plans so you could accompany her."

"I don't want to bloody baby-sit her," James whispered furiously to Remus.

"You wouldn't. Think of it as showing her the town."

"Fine," James said.

"But," he started, seeing the triumphant smirk on Lily's dace, "only because she smells and new clothed will fix the odor." Lily's mouth dropped in shock and anger overtook her features.

Fearing another outburst, Remus quickly intervened again, "and I am sure Miss Evans will be delighted." Lily simply humphed and walked away.

"I pity you mate," Sirius said, finally speaking. "I would hate to have to chaperone a girl like her. You should have taken my offer earlier."

James didn't reply, but simply started to bang his head against the railing.

After two hours, _The Marauder _finally docked. Lily stepped out from below decks and walked over to Captain Potter. James glared at her before speaking, "We need to have the boat repaired before we go off _gallivanting_ into town."

"Alright, I'll just wait right here until you are done." James simply scowled. He was hoping she would go back to her room so he could lock her in and then take off on his own. Apparently Miss Evans was smarter than he gave her credit for.

About an hour later, James could find nothing else to set his crew to do. He reluctantly let everyone go off to town. Hoping that Miss Evans got too tired of waiting, he made his way to the gangplank.

"Captain Potter, I fear you are forgetting something." Cringing, James turned back around to face Lily.

"Of course I didn't forget. I was simply making sure the crew got off safely."

"Oh good, it is so refreshing to know a captain that takes _such _good care of his crew," she replied, raising an eyebrow at him. James just scowled at her.

"Do you want to go or not?" he said.

"Of course, I was merely waiting for you to lead the way. After all, you are my _chaperone_."

James scowled again and grabbed her arm, practically dragging her off the boat.

"You don't need to manhandle me," she said, angrily wrenching her arm out of his grasp. She sighed, "Captain Potter, if we are to be each other's companion today, I suggest that we be civil with each other." Lily stuck out her hand.

James stared at her hand for a while and then reluctantly shook it. She smiled and the pair started walking in silence.

"So, do you know where the dressmaker's shop is?" Lily asked, finally breaking the silence.

"Yes, I think that it is this way," he said, leading her down another road.

After another couple of awkward moments, the pair arrived at Madame Truscott's dress shop. James opened the door for her and Lily opened her mouth in shock. James simply raised an eyebrow at her a shuffled her into the room. As Lily looked around, she saw numerous fabrics on shelves and patterns on the counters. She saw a middle-aged woman with graying brown hair in a cap sewing a shift. Lily cleared her throat to announce her presence.

"Oh!" the woman exclaimed, "Good day, I am Madame Truscott. How may I help you?" The woman had a warm and cheery presence and Lily couldn't help but be drawn in.

"Yes, I was wondering if I could order a couple of dresses. You see, my other clothes have been lost at sea and I don't think I can stand another day in these clothes!" James looked at her in astonishment at her bold faced lie.

"I am so sorry deary! So what type of dresses do you need? I have some already back there that look to be your size that you could try on," then she looked to James. "I'm sure your gentleman friend will like to see you in some of the pretty dresses I have."

"Oh, he's not my -," Lily started, but Madame Truscott was already moving to the back of the room. Lily had turned bright red at the assumption and didn't dare look at James.

Madame Truscott popped her head back out and said, "Well, come on deary, we have dresses to try on!"

Lily followed her through the curtain and found a powdered blue cotton dress with lace edging around the square neckline, ¾ sleeves, and V-opening down the skirt that showed a cream underskirt. The next dress was a navy blue crepe with tiny white flowers embroidered on it. There was also a burgundy and cream striped dress that was cotton and very simple with ruffles only on the ¾ sleeves and it also had a neckerchief around the square neckline. There were two shifts lying out, a pair of cream socks, and one cream and one white bonnet. Also, there was one cream and one white apron.

There was one dress that drew Lily's attention. It was an emerald green dress with silk ruffle flowing off the elbow. The stomacher was embroidered with silk flowers and the underskirt was a cream silk. The dress held elaborate detail and Lily fell in love with it immediately.

She tried on the rest of the dresses and modeled them for James while he simply looked bored.

Madame Truscott could see Lily was aching to try on the emerald dress, so she handed it to her with a smile, "You go make that man of yours drop his mouth."

Lily didn't bother to correct her, but quickly, yet carefully, tried on the dress. It fit her perfectly! She looked at herself in the mirror and couldn't help but admire her reflection.

The dress did amazing things to her eyes! It really made them pop out. She smiled and went to show James.

James looked up as Lily walked out again. This was such a mind numbing task and he was mentally berating himself for not taking Sirius' offer.

James lifted his head and his jaw dropped. Lily was wearing the most stunning dress he had ever seen! The emerald color made her eyes sparkle and her fiery tresses stand out more. The cut of the dress did amazing things to her body. The waist was pulled in and accentuated her tiny waist. The stomacher slightly pushed up her breasts, forming two perfect mounds.

Lily blushed slightly as James kept staring. She coughed slightly and James was shaken out of his reverie.

"Miss Evans," he started, standing up, "You look… absolutely stunning."

Lily smiled and blushed again, "Really, you don't think it's too much?"

"No, absolutely not. You look perfect," James said, and then realizing what just come out of his mouth, he blushed beet red and coughed, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"Yes, it is gorgeous, but I can't afford it, it's too much money," she said heading back behind the curtain.

After some quick thinking, James stopped her, "Wait, Miss Evans, how about _I _buy it for you? Think of it as an apology for my earlier actions. Besides, a dress that looks like that deserves to be worn _only _by you."

Lily positively gleamed, "Oh, thank you, Captain Potter!" and with that she kissed his cheek and ran back to change.

James just stood there for a while with his hand on his cheek smiling. Madame Truscott walked out and looked at James. "Trust me, if you are not together now, then you will be. I've seen true love in the works before."

James started to protest but Madame Truscott simply held up her hand. "You just watch, boy. I've seen it happen before." Madame Truscott walked away and went to help Lily with the clothes.

James simply shook his head and tried to get the woman's voice out of his head. Did he fancy Miss Evans? Well he certainly found her attractive. She also had a temper that could rile him up. Somehow he liked fighting with her. She had also taken care of him. So, did he like her like that?

James shook himself out of his musings as Lily entered the room with a bright smile.

"Oh, I just don't know how I'll thank you!" she chirped, putting the dresses down.

"Like I said, think of it as an apology."

"I really do appreciate it."

"Yes, well, I think we must be on our way. We can just grab the packages and drop them off at the ship. Then, I'll show you around the town."

"Oh yes, that would be delightful!"

Both James and Lily picked up the parcels and headed out the door, saying goodbye to Madame Truscott as they went.

"Yes, true love is in their future," she said, smiling after them.


	10. Chapter 10

After dropping off the dresses, James and Lily headed into the heart of town. Lily smiled as she looked around at the bustling people. James was pointing out shops and interesting places to her.

"Are you hungry?" he asked, looking at her intently.

"Yes, I could use some real food. While Cook's food has improved, it's still not better than land food!"

"Yes, I still can't believe you had the nerve to go against Cook. I mean have you seen him? You must be half his size!"

"Oh, he wouldn't harm a fly! He's just all talk. Inside he's a big old softy. You just need to get to know him!"

"Yeah, well I'm not taking my chances," James said. Lily just laughed at him.

James led her to a tavern with the name, The Boar's Head Tavern. The tavern was slightly dark and crowded. James led her to a table and pulled out the chair. Lily stared again and James gestured her into the chair. They sat there for a while in silence before a waitress came up to them.

"What do you want to eat?" she asked.

"I will have the beef stew with cornbread," James said, "oh, and some rum please."

"And you miss?"

"Oh, I suppose I'll just have the same as him, except I'll have a small glass of wine."

The woman looked at Lily oddly and said, "I'm sorry miss, we don't have wine."

"Oh, then water will be fine," she said, blushing. She should have remembered that this wasn't home!

James looked over at Lily, who was already wearing a new dress. She had changed on the ship into the powder blue dress with a cap. Lily looked as though she was berating herself for her slip-up. He also noticed that Lily was still wearing the Pearl Medallion. He stared at it for awhile, wondering if Lily would let him examine it closely.

Lily looked over at James and noticed him staring fixatedly at her necklace. Why was the captain so interested in it? She had just received it as a present from her brother, nothing more and nothing less.

"Captain Potter," she said, "You are staring at my necklace. May I inquire as to why? I mean, you were interested in it before, the day you… well the day we met. I don't understand why."

James looked ready to respond, when the food came. They both started eating and Lily looked up as James stopped. He looked at her pensively before responding to her question.

"I can't tell you here. As soon as we are done, I will tell you, but you must swear to not tell a soul."

Lily simply nodded. Now that her curiosity was piqued, she wanted the meal to be over as soon as possible.

The meal continued with small talk and Lily only wished that James would hurry to finish eating. She was getting really impatient and had finished her stew way before James had.

James only looked at her in amusement. He knew that she wanted her questions answered. He had been deliberately eating slowly just to irk her. He could see her growing annoyance at him.

After the last drop of rum and last crumb of cornbread, James pulled out his money bag and placed some coins on the table. Lily stood up quickly and made her way to the door. James just chuckled in amusement as he followed.

As soon as she was out the door, she turned to James. "Well, will you tell me now?"

"Hold on, I'd like to get a little away from town," he said, leading her down the main street.

The pair walked to a winding country lane. The lane held flowers and trees along the path. It also led to a cliff over the ocean. James stopped Lily as they reached a rock and he sat down staring at the ocean. Lily followed suit and looked at James expectantly, waiting for the story.

"That 'necklace' that you are wearing is no ordinary necklace," he started, "In fact it's a legendary medallion, created by the Atlanteans, before their civilization disappeared."

"Atlanteans? You mean people from Atlantis? Captain Potter, I hardly believe in myths," Lily snorted.

"Ah, but Miss Evans, what if I told you the stories were true? What you were told was myth, was in fact history?"

Lily didn't answer, but simply looked at him in curiosity.

"Thousands upon thousands of years ago, in the Atlantic Ocean, an amazing civilization existed, its name was Atlantis. It was far advanced in technology, and the people were extremely smart. Their palace and city was said to be made of gold and they had a huge library filled with knowledge that is unimaginable to us. The last king of Atlantis, King Mentos, was said to have hidden most of Atlantis' wealth away. He knew of the city's coming demise. For unknown reasons, Atlantis sank and water overtook every crevice. Years of knowledge and history gone with the water. The city and its contents were never seen again," he finished.

While fascinating this story is, Captain Potter, I don't understand what this has to do with my necklace," Lily said, slightly irritated that he hadn't answered her questions.

"Patience, Miss Evans," James said, his eyes twinkling, "I'm getting there. You see, King Mentos created a map to the treasure. It is said to be that of a medallion, a pearl medallion."

Lily's hand went to her necklace. She stared at it intently, trying to figure out how it could be a map. "Captain Potter, I think you must be mistaken, my necklace cannot be a map, it is simply too small to carry a map and there are no markings on it to indicate a map of any sorts."

"Ah, Miss Evans, I fear that is where you are wrong. You see, you must have forgotten what I said about the Atlanteans being technologically advanced and intelligent to boot. No, there is a pattern in which you need to press the pearls. Then, it will open to show a map."

"But Captain Potter," Lily said, still clutching the Medallion in her hand, "there are a lot of pearls on the Medallion. There must be hundreds of different combinations to try."

"Ah, that's where the instructions come in," he said, grinning at her perceptiveness.

"Instructions?"

"Yes, recently, I had come upon a special book containing knowledge about Atlantis and the Legend of the Pearl Medallion. In said book was a series of numbers. I remember thinking, why all these numbers, what is it, lines of longitude and latitude, or something else? That's when it hit me! Of course it showed the combination to open it, which led to the map!"

"So, you're telling me that you have the book that will give you the combination for the map?" Lily asked, still processing everything.

"Yes, except that the book is in Jamaica, so that is where we are now heading."

"Jamaica? Why Jamaica?"

"My uncle lives there and I left the book with him," James said, looking at her. "Tell me, Miss Evans, how is it that you came across the Medallion?"

"My brother, he gave it to me before he went out to sea," Lily said, getting a faraway look in her eyes, "He told me to keep it safe for him. I didn't know what he was talking about at the time, but now I guess I can understand. Do you think he knew of the story? Oh, he must have, and he got himself killed trying to find answers."

"On the contrary, Miss Evans, I'm sure that your brother wasn't looking for answers, but hiding from those who wish to find it," James said, putting a comforting arm around her.

Lily turned top him with blazing eyes, "If it was you, Captain Potter, who killed my brother in order to get the bloody Medallion, so help me God, I will kill you." Lily has stood up and was glaring at him.

"Miss Evans," he said, taking her into a hug as he saw tears well up in her eyes, "I promise you that I didn't kill him. No, I think he was hiding from someone bigger than me."

"Who?" she asked, tilting her head up towards him.

"Captain Tom Marvolo Riddle. Somehow, I have a rat on board my ship. He seemed to have alerted Riddle about the Medallion on my ship. I recently killed him in a battle."

"You mean," she said, looking at him in amazement, "the man who you killed during that attack was Riddle, is the man who possibly killed my brother? He was on the ship looking for the Medallion?"

"Yes, now you see why it is imperative that you learn how to fight, don't you? I don't know who else might be after the Medallion, and I want you to be safe and prepared.'

"Of course, Captain Potter. When do you want to start?" she asked.

"What, no protests, Miss Evans?"

"Lily, please, call me Lily," she said, staring at him intently.

"Of course… Lily," he breathed, staring into her emerald eyes, "and you must call me James."

"Yes," Lily said. Slowly, their faces started to get closer. Just as their lip were about to touch –

"Jamesie!" Sirius yelled, carrying a drunken Remus. The pair was clearly sloshed. James looked to the sky and could see the moon shining down on them. He hadn't noticed it was night.

"Jamesie, me and Remi here found the most beautiful women," he slurred. "Why didn' you come with us? Who cares that you don' like wenching, wes hads tons of fun."

James headed over to Sirius as he and Remus both looked like they were about to topple over. Remus was just giggling madly at everything Sirius said.

"Whatz she doin' here?" Sirius said, nodding his head towards Lily.

"You know that I spent the day showing her around," James said, hoisting Sirius and Remus up as they walked back to the ship. Lily rushed to aid James and help hoist Remus up while James put his arm around Sirius.

"I don' un'nerstan' why you wanted to spen' the whole day with her. She is such a stuck up brat who only thinks of herzelf. She's also takin' you 'way from me. Everyone knows yous likes her. I don' see why. She's not all that pretty."

"Sirius, why don't you just shut up? We're almost back at the ship," James said. Then, turning to Lily, he said, "Please excuse him, when he's drunk he doesn't know what he's saying. He also tends to sprout nonsense." James was happy it was dark as he was now blushing and silently cursing Sirius. Lily nodded at his answer and squealed as Sirius threw up in front of them.

Lily looked at Remus and noticed that his face had turned a little green as well. His giggling had stopped as well and Lily prayed that he wouldn't spew, too.

"Ugh," Lily head Sirius groan.

"Almost there, Sirius," James said, "when we get on the ship, you'll go to bed. Man, you are not having any rum for a while.

The quartet walked aboard the ship and walked the two drunken men to their bunks. Lily put Remus in his gently, wrapping the blankets around his carefully as he started to doze off. James, on the other hand, threw Sirius into his bunk and took the bottle of rum out of Sirius' hand.

James and Lily both walked to Lily's room. They stopped at her door.

"Thank you, Capt- James. I did have fun today. Also, thank you for the dress and explanation. I promise I won't tell a soul."

"Yes, Miss –Lily, I had a nice time as well," James said. The pair was standing awkwardly, and they didn't know what else to say.

"Well, I suppose I should get some sleep," Lily said, fingering the door knob.

"Yes, well, good night Lily."

"Good night James," she whispered and placed a kiss on his cheek. She slipped into the room and left James standing there and smiling. James walked away with a smile and humming a soft tune.

A/N- I just want everyone to know how much I appreciate the reviews! Your feedback is amazing and keeps me going! Thank you so much!


	11. Chapter 11

Lily woke up the next day with a smile. Yesterday she had gotten new clothes and off the ship for a while.

Lily then fingered the Medallion she wore on her neck. Most of all, she was happy that she finally understood the importance of the Medallion.

She got out of bed and headed to a trunk that James had lent her to put her clothing in. She got out the cream and burgundy striped dress, a cream apron, and the cream cap. She washed off a little and tied her hair back in a low ponytail and pinned down up in her cap.

After she finished dressing, Lily walked out onto the deck. She smelled the ocean air and smiled. She was in a good mood today. She had new clothes, she felt refreshed, and James and she were on good terms –wait, why would that make her happy?

She remembered how they had almost kissed and her heart sped up. Did she want to kiss James? How could she? While they were being nice to each other, he was still a pirate.

But isn't that what she had always wanted? A handsome pirate to take her away? Well James was certainly handsome. She remembered Madame Truscott's words. Were they really destined lovers? How absurd! Potter hated her at points! Then, she thought back to what Sirius had said. Did James fancy her? Well, she certainly didn't fancy him. Not one bit. No matter how kind he could be or extremely handsome and caring of his crew and the way his eyes had flecks of gold and green…

Oh bugger.

"Lily," she heard the object of her musings call.

Lily turned around to answer him, "Yes, James?"

"I was wondering if you would like to start our dueling lessons?"

"Oh!" Lily said, delighted, "Of course!"

"Well, if you will follow me, I'm sure that we can get you a sword and then we shall start."

James led her to the middle of the deck where the crew wasn't working and handed her a wooden stick. Lily looked at it oddly.

"Um, James, I'm not sure if you've noticed this, but this isn't a sword. And you call yourself a pirate," she teased.

James just chuckled. "We don't want you getting hurt, so we need to wait until you are comfortable with this wooden sword, and then you can… upgrade." Lily nodded at the explanation.

"Now, the first thing you need to learn is how to block, or parry, the blow. To do so, you will hold your sword like so," James said, positioning himself and showing her how to hold the sword. Lily looked at him and copied his motions. "Good, now, when I thrust at you, you will block my thrust using that movement. Do you understand?" he said, picking up a wooden sword while saying this.

"Yes, I think I do," she replied.

"Alright, are you ready to start?" he asked, positioning himself in front of her. Lily simply gulped and nodded.

He lunged and Lily blocked it. Her arm shook from the power of the blow. After three more lunges and blocks, Lily started to feel confident when –

"And you just got yourself killed," James said, holding his "sword" to her chest.

"But, I thought -," she stuttered.

"Rule number one, Miss Evans, never get too confident or you will find yourself with a wound." Lily nodded.

"Now, let's try again."

The pair had been practicing for over an hour and Lily was sore and tired. She hadn't gotten past five blocks until she was hit and she was slowly getting frustrated.

She started missing more and more hits and that only angered her more. After she was thrown to the ground once more, she laid there for a while and groaned. She was hot and swore, and her dress was in the way.

She tried to get up, but was tripped by her skirt and fell on her bum once more. James burst out into laughter as he looked at her sprawled out with her skirts to her knees.

Lily got up again, blushing furiously as she straightened up her skirts. "James Potter! Weren't you ever taught to never laugh at a lady in distress?!"

"Yes Miss Evans, I was. However, like I've said before, you are no lady," he said, smirking.

"I'll have you know that I am the epitome of lady-likeness," she said, straightening her back and giving him a curtsy.

"Oh yes, then you must pardon me, Miss Evans," James said, playing along as he bowed and kissed her hand. Tingles ran up through Lily's arm at his kiss. She blushed slightly and dropped her hand. James looked mildly embarrassed and an awkward silenced passed.

"Lily," James said, breaking the silence. "You need to try not to become frustrated. Once you put negative emotions into your fighting, it will decline your skill. Anger and frustration can make fools of the best swordsmen."

Lily sighed and nodded, "I guess you're going to want to start again?"

"No, I think you have earned yourself a break. However, tomorrow, you can't wear those skirts. You only get tangled up in them and you will need free legs in a fight."

"What do you propose I wear then? I can't very well go without clothes!"

_Not that I wouldn't mind, _James thought. Bad James! "Miss Evans, I'm sure that one of the men or boys will lend you a pair of breeched. Here, I'll just make an announcement and –."

"James, no, you really don't have to. I don't want to take away their clothes. In addition, I don't really think your crew would like me using their breeches. They aren't too pleased about me being on board," she said, looking at her feet.

"Alright, I'll just let you borrow a pair of mine then. They may be a little big, but I'm sure you can tailor them to fit. Wait right here and I'll go fetch them for you," James said. He dripped the wooden sword and went down below to his quarters.

When he returned, he had a pair of brown breeches that were well worn and bleached from the sun.

James saw her eyeing them and grinned sheepishly. "I found my smallest pair. They also happened to be my oldest, so they aren't in the best condition. I'm sure you will manage."

"Thank you James. I guess I will see you tomorrow at the same time, of that is alright with you of course," she said, blushing.

James couldn't help but admire the way the blush spread delicately upon her cheeks.

"Yes, until then, Lily," he said, smiling and walking away.

Lily watched him go and walked back to her cabin. She examined the breeched and sighed. She had a lot of work to do.

The next morning she got out of bed and pulled on a clean shift and some stockings. She grabbed the newly tailored breeched and slipped them aver her waist. She stuffed the rest of her shift into the breeched and slipped on some shoes.

Lily walked over to the mirror at herself. The pants showed off the slimness of her legs and looked slightly scandalous to her. Never mind not being allowed to show her ankles, her mother would have a fit at the thought of her showing an entire leg! Even better of a reason to do it, she thought, grinning.

She braided her hair into one long plait and tied it off with a bit of string. Looking at herself in the mirror, she nodded in satisfaction as she walked out of her cabin.

As she walked to the place where she was to have her lesson, she saw the crew look at her in amazement. They must have been surprised that a lady would boldly prance around in breeches.

She held back a smirk as she walked up to James. He had his back turned and was talking to Sirius. As Sirius caught sight of Lily, his eyes visibly widened and mouth dropped. James wondered what had done this to Sirius.

"Sirius, what in the -," James turned and his mouth dropped in surprise.

Lily looked absolutely alluring. Her eyes were sparkling in the sunlight and her hair was in a messy braid, thrown over her shoulder. She was wearing her shift and he could see the outline of her body. The breeches clung to her legs and James could see her perfectly tapered legs and ankles.

Lily cleared her throat and James shook himself out of his reveries.

Clearing his throat, James spoke, "Good to see that you are ready to start."

"Yes, let's hope I'm not tripping all over the deck now," she said, grinning.

"Yes, shall we start?" he asked.

"Of course. En guard, Captain." Her sleeve slid down her shoulder slightly, revealing her milky white shoulder.

This was going to be hard, James thought.


	12. Chapter 12

A month had gone by and Lily was progressing at an amazing rate. She was quite good for having started only a month ago. James was finding it harder and harder to resist her.

During breaks, they had taken to talking about their pasts. James had told her about his adventures with Uncle Jack that set her to the edge of her seat. Others sent her into peals of laughter.

James found that he loved her laugh and tried to tell her as many stories to just hear that laugh again.

Lily had told him about her family, and she loved to talk about Paul and her adventures around her manor in England.

James sighed as he thought about Lily's parents and sister. He knew that they had treated her horribly and he didn't understand them. Sure, Lily got on his nerves sometimes, but over all she wasn't that bad.

He was thankful that, while he hadn't known his parents for long, he knew that they loved him. He reflected back to the day she had told him about her family.

"_Well, you already met my _lovely_ mother and father, and you know that I have a brother named Paul. I also have a sister named Petunia."_

"_You don't sound as though you like her much, "James remarked, sitting back against the mast._

"_Well, I guess you could say that. My sister is a horrid woman. She thinks wealth and position matter more than kindness and charity. She's held a great dislike for me for quite some time now. Paul thought it was because she was jealous of my appearance. Petunia looks a little… horsey," she said, giggling a bit._

"_I don't recall seeing her… that day," James said, thinking back to the day of Lily's capture._

"_She wasn't there; she had married sometime back to a big walrus of a man, Vernon Dursley. He has a lot of money."_

"_Hmmm, a walrus and a horse, you say? Should make an interesting batch of kids. Wonder what you'd call them. Horlus? Walorse?" James said, looking deep in thought._

_Lily laughed heartily at his comments. "I don't know, but if I ever come across them, I'll let you know."_

"_So, what about your mother and father? Were they any better than horsey Petunia?" James asked._

"_No, well, my father was alright for some time. Before Paul died, he sort of card. I wasn't a favorite or anything. He would acknowledge me and talk a little, but I was just another pawn in his game of life. Paul was more of a father to me than my real father was. After Paul died, Father never talked to any of us. He became more obsessed with money and power. When he accepted the position of governor at Port John, he was ecstatic." Lily was silent for a while, her thoughts drifting into her past._

"_And your mother?" James said, shaking her out of her memories._

"_Ah yes, Mother dearest. What to say about her," she said cynically. "My mother loved to point out every fault and problem I had. Dear God, I detest that woman. She cared only about money and appearance. Petunia learned from the best at Mother's knee. Every time I did anything wrong, I was slapped and sent to my chambers with no food for the day. I can tell you I spent many a hungry day," Lily's eyes had started to tear at her story and James put his arm around her. _

"_I'm sorry, Lily," he whispered, kissing the top of her head. She relaxed into his grip and was silent for a while. James looked at her as she spoke again._

"_You want to know something funny?" she asked, "I used to dream of being taken away from that life, by pirate too. God is laughing at me right now as he gave me my silly wish."_

_James' laugh started deep in his chest and Lily could feel it rumble through until it burst off of his lips. He laughed and Lily laughed with him at the irony of her situation._

"_Well, Miss Evans, I am absolutely delighted that your deepest wish came true," he said, with mirth in his eyes._

"_Oh shut it, you," she said, hitting his chest lightly. James looked down at her and was happy that she had been brought out of her somber mood._

"_Are you ready to start again?" he asked, lifting himself up and putting a hand out to her. She nodded and took his hand._

James shook himself out of his reverie as he heard someone call his name.

"James!" he heard Lily call.

"How may I help you?" he said, turning to face her.

"Shall we have our lesson now?"

"Actually, we shall be landing in Jamaica tomorrow and we need to start preparing for port."

"Oh," Lily said, "and what do you propose I should do?"

'I thought it may be best if you stay in your cabin," he said, sighing.

Lily humphed and walked off. James watched her go and wondered what he'd done to displease her.

"Mate, what has been your problem lately?" he heard a voice say behind him. James turned to face Sirius who was standing with his arms crossed.

"I don't know what you are talking about," James said.

"Like hell you don't. That girl has turned you against pirating and everything you believe in. You've been spending all of your time with her and it's been getting bloody annoying. Honestly, I can't wait until we get to the plantation. We can just keep her there, leave her with him, and never see her again."

"Sirius, I don't understand why you must act like this, honestly, mate, I'm going to have to admit that it's getting _bloody irritating_," James said, his anger rising.

"I'm irritating you?! What about _her_? I think she's the problem, James, not me. All the crew knows you're infatuated with her. You're losing your focus on the Medallion!"

"I'm not losing focus! Maybe other things are just as important."

"Bull shit, James. We've been after that Medallion for years! When you finally find it, you fall head over heels for the person who has it!"

"The Medallion is still important, Sirius, and I'm not… infatuated with Lily."

"Then why are you calling her Lily? What happened to Miss Evans? I don't know who you are, but you're not my captain and best mate," Sirius said, fuming, "That woman is a nuisance and you're the only one blind enough not to notice it. All she is, is a cold hearted bitch, just like the rest of those upper class snobs."

James was beyond angry now. "You know what, _Black_, I don't care what happened in your bloody past," he hissed, "Not every one's like your bastard of a father. Lily is different and your being a stubborn ass about it. Get over yourself, because she is nothing like your father."

Sirius glared at him, and then did something he'd never done to James before. He punched him in the face, and then stormed off.

James fell to the ground and looked at Sirius' back in shock.

"Mate, I think you went a little too far," he heard Remus say.

"I know," James said, sighing, "but I was mad and, well, you know me. I said the first thing that came to mind. I'll go after him," James said, getting up.

"No, James, I think you should let him cool off for a while," Remus said. James sighed and nodded. Bugger, her was in trouble now.

A/N: So, how was that? I really do appreciate all the reviews and support. Sorry about the lack of updates but it's exam week! Oh joy. Any who, thanks again!


	13. Chapter 13

Sirius was fuming. As he was walking below decks, he was mumbling profanities under his breath and hitting the walls in anger.

"Do you mind? I'm –" his attention snapped towards the door that had just opened. Lily Evans stepped out with a look of annoyance on her face.

"Oh, it's you," Lily said, getting ready to close the door.

Sirius put a hand to the door and held it there, not allowing her to close the door. "Ah, just the woman I wanted to speak with," he sneered.

"Excuse me, Mr. Black, but I am not in the mood to deal with –"

"Miss Evans, I feel as though our business must be dealt with immediately. You see, my captain has been neglecting his pirating duties and I am beginning to think it is because of a red-haired noble brat who thinks she owns the world!"

"Mr. Black, your accusations are false. I have no control over the captain or his actions," she said, glaring at him.

"That's where I think you are wrong. The captain had been spending an extraordinary amount of time with you and you must have rubbed off on him. I'm here to warn you to stay away from him."

"And who are you to tell me who to stay away from. You hold no power over me," she hissed.

"Now, Miss Evans that is where you are wrong. I just happen to be skillful in the art of swordplay as well as stronger than you. That means that I do have some sort of 'power' over your," her said, looking pleased at himself.

"Mr. Black, need I remind you what I've been doing for the past month? I'm almost positive you have been watching the captain and me through glaring eyes," she said, smirking.

"You are nothing more than a sniveling, whining princess who thinks the world should be falling at your feet. Did your mummy and daddy do that for you? Did they buy you everything in sight and cater to your every whim? Miss Evans, I don't think you've ever had a hard day in your life until you came aboard this ship. In fact, I'm almost positive that you had everything you ever dreamed for," he sneered.

"You don't know what you're talking about, Black. My life was different than what you think!" Lily was now steaming mad.

"Is that so, Miss Evans? Did you not get the throne? Or the suitor with the most money?"

"JUST SHUT UP!" she screamed, pulling out her sword. "I AM TIRED OF YOUR ISSUES WITH ME! SO YOU KNOW WHAT, FIGHT ME!"

"Excuse me," he said, bewildered, "I won't fight you," now his tone was condescending. "You might tear your clothes or actually work."

"That's it," she said, deadly calm. "Ten minutes, Mr. Black, then we'll meet on deck and fight. I win, you have to be nice, you win, and I'll stay away from James."

Sirius smiled with a satisfactory grin. "Ten minutes, Miss Evans."

Lily watched as Sirius stormed out of the room. She took a deep breath and cleared her mind. She knew she wouldn't be able to fight if she was angry. She shook her hands in an attempt to loosen up. She grabbed her sword and looked in the mirror. She saw a determined young woman looking back at her. Nodding at her reflection, she walked out of the door.

"You're going to WHAT?!" James yelled at Sirius.

"You heard me, I'm going to have a sword fight with Miss Evans," he said, grabbing his sword and walking to the designated area for the fight.

"Are you mad? She only has a month's worth of lessons! What if you injure her? He will kill us!" James said, exasperated at Sirius' attitude.

"Yes, well she needs to be taken down a notch or two. Plus, I don't care what he thinks," Sirius said, examining his sword. He lunged in practice and James side stepped him.

"Just, rethink this, Sirius," James sighed.

"Hmmm, thinking, thinking, no, not a chance. Sirius Orion Black has never backed down from a fight."

"Are you ready, Mr. Black?" James turned around in disbelief as he saw Lily walk out towards them. She had a determined glint in her eyes. She was wearing her normal practice clothes. Her hair was in a braid and sunlight was shining off of it. She looked gorgeous yet scary.

James looked at Sirius, who had a feral grin on as he watched Lily walk forward.

"I've never been more ready than now," he said. Both were now facing each other. Lily swept into an elegant bow.

"Mr. Black," she said, positioning her sword ready for battle.

Sirius gave her a jerky bow and positioned his sword, "Miss Evans," he said, smirking.

Sirius made the first move. He lunged towards her and Lily blocked it. No emotions showed on her face except for the determined and dangerous spark in her eyes. If his blows were too strong for her, she didn't show it.

For a while, they were both equally matched, both lunging and parrying in equal harmony and force. Slowly, Sirius started overpowering Lily. If Lily was nervous, she gave no inclination towards it.

"Both of you!" James said, as the fighting continued, "This really isn't necessary! Can't you just talk it out like civilized people?"

"James, this is how you changed," Sirius growled, lunging again. "You used to always settle our 'issues' with sword play. NOW you want to talk?!"

Lily parried his blow and replied calmly, "I think we are past the part where we can sit down and talk." She lunged again.

"But, if you two would just –"

"James, I think that we need to let these two just duel it out," Remus said, pulling him out of the way of Sirius' oncoming sword.

James sighed and nodded, settling himself against the railing and watching the fight. His hand was resting on his sword and he was ready to pull it out at any sign of immense danger.

"Miss Evans," Sirius said, slowly gaining the upper hand. "It seems that you may not win this one. It's such a shame."

"Really, Mr. Black, how do you know that I'm not humoring you and letting you feel secure? We can't have your _manly pride_ being wounded. Mr. Black, you underestimate me."

"Now, I would never," he sneered. _Clang, slash, bang_ went the swords.

"Oh, I think you would. You see, Mr. Black, you're mental capacity just isn't up to mine, now, is it?" _Clang, sling, slash_.

Sirius was getting angry now. His strikes were getting sloppier.

"Mr. Black, you seen to be forgetting something very, very important," she said, slowly backing him up against the railing.

"And what is that?" he sneered.

"That I am a woman."

"Why would that –" but Sirius didn't finish the question. Lily's breast had popped out of her shirt and his eyes and bugged out of his head in disbelief.

Lily took advantage of his momentary surprise and pushed him over the edge into the water.

She fixed her shirt and turned around to face the crew. All the men's eyes were bugged out and their mouths to the floor. She blushed and straightened her shirt out. Clearing her throat, she spoke,

"Are any of you going to throw Mr. Black a line?" The men jumped into action, hurrying to pull Sirius out of the water.

She turned to James and saw that he still was looking at her in disbelief. When she heard Sirius back on the deck, she looked at him.

"That," he coughed, "was –bloody brilliant!" he said, shaking water out of his eyes. Lily noted how much he looked like a wet dog.

"Yes, well, I knew that you had strength, but I figured that I possibly had better –cough- assets, than you.

Sirius stood up. "You know what," he said, "I figure if you can do what you just did with only a month's worth of lessons, you must be alright." Sirius held out his hand.

Lily took it, "And to think, it only took you seeing my breast for you to start liking me," she said dryly.

"Well, think of it this way, I got to see it up close before James. I didn't think that would happen."

Lily's mouth dropped in shock, "I –you –he –"

"I must be going, Miss Evans. I'm sure that James wants to talk to you now," he said, nodding his head to the still in shock James.

"Good bye," and with that, Sirius walked away.


	14. Chapter 14

Lily looked out at the shoreline. She was so happy to finally see land after a month at sea. She was also curious about James' uncle, Uncle Jack. The way she had heard him described about his Uncle Jack, she was expecting a god!

She smiled at the thought of James, particularly his response to the sword fight yesterday. He couldn't believe she had willingly shown her breast to Sirius in order to win a fight.

"_I just can't believe it," he said, staring in disbelief. "You were the one who vehemently protested about __eating__ just because you thought we'd take advantage of you!"_

"_Yes, well, I wanted to win. The stakes were too high," she said._

"_And what were the stakes? You know, Sirius never did tell me…"_

"_And he won't. It's none of your business," she said, turning to go back to her cabin._

_He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her close. She gave a sharp intake of breath and looked onto his eyes. She was mesmerized by their hazel color and intensity._

"_You must remember, Lily, I always get what I want," he whispered in her ear. His hot breath sent shivers up her spine._

_He let her go and smirked as he saw her in a stupor. Then, with one last look, he walked off._

Lily's heart quickened at the thought of his arms around her. He was so close and she could just imagine his lips falling onto hers and taking her breath away.

She shook herself out of her reveries. She didn't need to be thinking of him now! Why was she having these feelings? She couldn't like him in that way!

Maybe once they were on land, she would have her space and know that she didn't have feelings for him. Yes, land was going to be a good thing.

She looked out at the lush green horizon again. James had told them they would be docking at his uncle's private port where he typically shipped out sugar cane. She could see the docks in the distance and the hustle and bustle of men loading ships.

She turned as she heard someone calling her name. She saw Remus making his way to her. Repressing her disappointment that it wasn't a certain messy-haired captain, she answered, "Yes, Mr. Lupin?"

"The captain wished to inform you that we will be landing in an hour and it is necessary for you to pack up your belongings and prepare to disembark."

"Thank you, Mr. Lupin. I shall go and take care of that," she replied, making her way to her cabin.

She walked in and looked around her cabin. Lily packed some stray articles of clothing into her trunk and looked once more around for any of her other belongings. She spotted her dress from her… previous life.

The light green had slightly faded and the edges were frayed. It was rumpled and smelled of the sea. That dress brought her back to the day of her abduction. It was hard to remember how her life was then. It was like scenes from another person's life. As much as she resented the pirates and (sometimes) James, she had to admit her life was better on _The Marauder_.

"Lily, are you almost ready?" James asked, peering into her room through the open door.

"Oh, yes. I was just making sure I didn't leave anything behind."

"What's that in your hands?" James asked, looking at the dress she was holding.

"It's nothing but memories," she answered, still looking at the dress.

"Alright, I guess I will just take your trunk, if you're finished packing, that is," he said, making his way to her trunk.

"Oh, yes. Go ahead." James picked it up effortlessly and walked to the door.

"Are you coming?" he asked.

"Yes, I'll be there in a few. Just go on ahead," she said.

Lily watched James walked out the door. She walked over to the small portal window and opened it. Looking at the dress one last time, she threw it out the window and watched it fade into the water.

It was like watching her previous life sink with it. Oddly, she felt no remorse, only relief. She smiled and closed the window, ready to face the next part of her life with pirates.

A/N: I know that it's a little short, but I wanted you all to know what Lily was thinking before she went to meet Uncle Jack. I sort of feel like the next part of her journey will be very different, so she needed some sort of closer. Anyways, thanks for all the reviews! Please keep reviewing; it makes me want to get updates out quicker!


	15. Chapter 15

Stepping off the ship, Lily surveyed her surroundings. Black men were bustling around her putting cargo into ships. Seeing Lily's confusion, James walked over to her.

"My uncle owns slaves. You see, here in the Caribbean, slaves are necessary to make an income," he whispered in her ear.

"But slavery is just ghastly! I've heard how they treat slaves down here! After all, aren't they men as well? Just because they appear different than us doesn't mean they are inferior to us," she sniffed.

"That is true; however, my uncle makes sure that his slaves are treated exceptionally well. Who knew you were so radical, Miss Evans."

"Yes, well, we owned slaves back in England, but the way they were treated was absolutely horrendous! My parents were firm believers in slavery and that they needed heavy disciplinary actions for small offences or for nothing at all! Of course, we didn't have field hands, but only house slaves."

"What brought on your hatred for slavery?" James asked.

"I was in my carriage waiting for my brother to get off one of his ships. My father owned a shipping business as well, you know, something on the side to bring in more money. He sent my brother out to survey the ships. So, I was down by the docks waiting for him when I saw a ship pull up. The smell was rancid and the ship had a feel of death clinging to it. As they started unloading the ship, the most terrible sight met my eyes. There were men walking out of the ship. They looked half dead and their skin was an ebony hue. You could see that these men were once proud and regal warriors who were broken by the cruelty of another race. There were shackles connecting them all and men shouting for which one they wanted. It was horrible."

"That does sound bad. However, I solemnly swear that my uncle had never raised his hand to a slave nor does he ever intend to," James said, patting her shoulder in a reassuring way,

Lily smiled at his promise and the pair along with Remus and Sirius walked to a carriage led by two brown mares.

They all got into the carriage and Lily sat by the w looked window. As the coachman started the horses, Lily looked out and studied her surroundings.

The land was a luscious green with palm trees and huge leafy plants. She noticed the flowers ranged in color and their vibrancy delighted her. She had never seen flowers like these in England! She longed to see if they smelled as pretty as they looked. The air was warm with a slight cool breeze and there were nice spicy yet sweet smells drifting through the air. She smiled; she could get use to a place like this.

As they approached a large gate, she gasped as she saw the house behind it.

It was a large white mansion with multiple windows and pillars in the front. There was a fountain as well with a circular driveway. There was also a large white wrap-around porch that gave a view of the ocean. Flowers of different variety and color surrounded the house. It was an amazing house.

Once they had stopped in front of the house, a slave dressed in butler livery opened the door. The man held out his hand and helped Lily down. After saying, "thank you," everyone headed up the stairs to the front door.

The door was opened by another house slave and they were all ushered in.

"Captain Potter," a tall black man with graying hair said, "The master wishes me to inform you that you are to go meet him his study."

"Yes, thank you, Ezekiel. We shall head there as soon as we clean up," James replied, leading them up to the stair case.

"Do you want me to lead you all to your rooms?" Ezekiel asked with a small smirk.

"No, that's alright. I think I can handle it from here!" James said, already half way up the stairs.

Lily marveled at James' and Ezekiel's relationship. They seemed very comfortable with each other and it wasn't at all like how her family interacted with their slaves. She thought it was nice.

"This is your room, Sirius," James said, "As you most likely already know."

"Well, how could I not ever want to stay with dear old Uncle Jacky?" Sirius said, going into his room, a slave following him in and placing his trunk down. Lily turned and noticed that some slaves were all carrying their trunks.

"Remus, your normal room, as well," James said, motioning to the room beside Sirius'.

"Thank you," he said, stepping into his room.

"Lily," James said, turning to face her, "your room is this way."

Lily nodded and followed him down the hallway. There were paintings lining the walls and the hardwood floors had rich Persian rugs on it. The walls were a clean white color.

Finally, James stopped at a door. He turned to face her with a hand on the door knob.

"This is my favorite room here," he said, smiling. "I think you'll really like it." James opened the door and allowed Lily to walk in first. As Lily looked at the room, she gasped. There was a large four poster bed with light white fabric draperies. The covers were a soft looking white with tiny blue flowers embroidered on it. On the opposite wall from the door, there was a large bay window with flowing white curtains. The windows were open and showed the ocean and a soft sea breeze ruffled the fabric.

"It's perfect," Lily breathed.

James looked at her and smiled. "I'm so happy you like it." He then motioned for the servant to put her trunk at the foot of the bed.

"Rita will be happy to help you freshen up to meet my uncle," he said, motioning to a young black woman standing in the corner with her head down. "I will come and get you in an hour," and with that, James stepped out of the room.

"Hello, Rita," Lily said, stepping over towards the woman, "my name is Lily."

"Hello, Miss Lily," she said, bobbing a curtsy and lifting her head. Lily thought she was lovely. Her ebony skin was flawless and her teeth shone white. Rita had warm chocolate eyes and a tiny figure. Rita smiled and Lily couldn't help but smile brightly back.

"Well, Miss Lily," she said, "I suppose we need to find you a dress. Let's just take a look here and then we'll get you all dolled up!"

"Alright," Lily said, walking over to the trunk.

The pair ended up choosing the navy blue crepe dress with tiny embroidered flowers. Rita found her a dainty white lace pinner cap and piled her hair in curls. She also found a white ribbon to place around Lily's neck.

As Lily looked in the mirror, she smiled in satisfaction. For the first time in two months, she looked pretty. Rita walked up behind her and smiled.

"His mouth will drop when he sees you," she said.

"Who's?"

"That Captain Potter. Anyone can see you two like each other."

"Oh, I don't think –"

"There's no denying it Miss Lily," she said, shaking a finger at her.

Lily just blushed and continued to look in the mirror. She turned when she heard a knock on the door.

"Lily, are you ready?" she heard James call.

"Yes, I'm coming," she answered. Rita opened the door and Lily walked out.

James turned to face her and his mouth dropped. Lily felt a nudge and slight giggle coming from behind her. Lily tried to suppress a blush, but couldn't help the flush that spread across her cheeks.

"Lily," he exclaimed, "you look absolutely stunning!"

Lily smiled, "You don't look half bad yourself, Captain," she said. She wasn't lying. James was wearing white breeches with a blue and white striped vest. His overcoat was a deep blue. He looked extremely handsome.

"Shall we?" he said, holding out his arm to Lily. She smiled and took it, "We shall."

The pair walked to Remus' and Sirius' room. Sirius was dressed in green and Remus in red. The quartet walked down the stairs and James led them to a door through the sitting room.

James opened the door and they all walked into the room. The study was filled with shelves of books and maps of the seas on the walls. There was a large fire place on one wall and a burgundy theme ran through the room. A mahogany desk held different mapping instruments.

"Ah, James, my boy! It's been too long," they heard a voice say.

Captain Jacques Chevalier stepped out to face them.

A/N thanks again for all the reviews! They are all very encouraging. Let's try and break 100 reviews!


	16. Chapter 16

"Uncle!" James cried, smiling and going over to hug him.

"So, what have you been up to?" he asked. Uncle Jack was a tall man with graying black hair. He had a mustache and goatee as well as a roguish twinkle in his eyes. Lily could see that although he had hung up his cutlass and was no longer roaming the seas, he had not given up his adventurous side.

"Uncle Jacky!" Sirius called, throwing himself at the man.

"Sirius! Looks as though no woman has tamed you yet. Still the same old marauder, ey?" Jack asked, his eyes twinkling merrily.

"Nah, you know me. I like to be a wandering soul who shall always create mischief wherever I go," Sirius said, grinning.

"Aye, and I wouldn't want you to change a bit. And Remus, you old dog! Have you loosened up a bit?" he said, turning to face the blonde man.

"Well –"

"Oh, you should have seen it Jacky!" Sirius interrupted gleefully. "Last time we made port I got him good and drunk! It was fun! Although, I myself don't remember much of it…"

"Well, that's a sight I want to see. We will have to do it again sometime. What were you doing when this was going on, James?" he asked, turning his attention to James.

"Well, you see, I was –"

"He was wooing Miss Evans over here," Sirius said, pointing to Lily.

"Ah, yes. That brings me to my next question. Who is this lovely little flower over there?"

"Oh, my name is Lily Evans, sir," she said, stepping forward and curtseying.

"Evans, you say?" he said, looking at her oddly. He shook himself and continued. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Evans," he said, taking her hand and kissing it.

"Well, it certainly is refreshing to find someone in your family with manners, James," she said. Jack raised his eyebrows at the use of his informal name.

"Miss Evans," Jack said, "I am most curious as to how you found your way onto _The_ _Marauder_."

"Yes, well, that is an interesting story," Lily said, blushing slightly. "You see, I was on my way to Port John because my father is now governor there, when James just happened upon our ship. In exchange for the safety of the ship, I was to go with him. To make a long story short, we hated each other, called a truce, he explained to me the importance of the Medallion, and here we are."

"The Medallion?" he said. "You know about the Medallion?"

"Yes, he told me about it after I asked him what its importance was."

"How would you even know about the Medallion?"

"Oh! I actually have it in my possession," she said.

"You do? Where is it?" he asked, looking excited.

"I always wear it. It is right here," she said, pulling it out of her dress.

Uncle Jack walked over to her and held the Medallion in his hand, examining it.

"Yes," he breathed, "this is it."

"My brother gave it to me before he went to sea. James and I figured that he was running from Captain Tom Riddle."

"Yes, Riddle will want this badly," Jack said, still fingering the Medallion.

"Actually, Uncle Jack, we no longer need to worry about Riddle."

"What do you mean, James?"

"What he means," Sirius said, "is that Jamesie here killed that mean old man."

"Sirius, this is serious," Remus said, and then quickly smacked himself. A grin spread across Sirius' face, "I know I'm Sirius!"

"That is so old, Sirius," James said, exasperatedly.

"Yes, but Miss Evans here had never heard it," he said, smiling at Lily.

"Can we get back to the point?" Jack said. "So, you killed Riddle? Are you positive, I mean absolutely positive. That man is a sly old snake who can trick even the smartest of men."

"Yes, I saw him go overboard and there were bubbles where he had sunk. I'm pretty sure he's dead," James replied.

"I hope for all of our sakes that you are right."

"Uncle, we came back because we were hoping to find the book containing the legend. Now that we have the Medallion, we need to find out how to open it," James said, stepping closer to his uncle.

"Ah yes, the legend. Let's see, where did I place it?" he said, walking over to one of the shelves.

"Hmm, I can't seem to find it," Jack said, his eyes still on the shelf.

"Did you lose it!?" James said, starting to worry.

"No, I think I lent it to someone," Jack said, looking deep in thought.

"You LENT it?!" James sounded angry.

"I think I know where it is," they heard a voice near the door say. A tall brown haired man with sparkling green eyes said. He was holding a book in his hands.

"Paul?" Lily whispered. The man smiled and Lily's world turned black as she fainted.


	17. Chapter 17

Lily woke up in her room with a cool ocean breeze drifting through the windows and ruffling her bed curtains. She sat up groggily and felt someone push her back down. She noticed she was still in her blue dress and was laying a top her covers.

"Lily, you need to take it easy," she heard a voice to her left call, a voice that was pleasantly familiar, a voice she had longed to hear for so long…

"Paul!" she said, sitting back up quickly. She groaned and held her head as a wave of dizziness passed through her.

"Oh, Lily-Lou, you still don't listen to anyone," she heard the voice tease her. Lily turned her head to face it. "Oh, Paul," she breathed.

Paul smiled at her and his green eyes twinkled as he looked at his baby sister.

Lily lunged into his arms and started sobbing. She felt his arms wrapping around her and holding her tightly. She breathed in his scent and relished the fact that her brother was here with her.

After her sobs had resided, she took a quick step back and slapped him. Paul stared in shock and held his cheek.

"What –I –how," he stuttered as he looked into Lily's smoldering eyes.

"HOW DARE YOU!" she screeched. "HOW DARE YOU JUST LEAVE WITHOUT A WORD?! WE THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD!"

"But I wasn't, Lily-Lou," he said, backing up from her.

"DO YOU MEAN TO TELL ME YOU HAVE BEEN ALIVE THIS WHOLE TIME?! I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW SELFISH YOU'VE BEEN! Father is only a ghost of his former self. I practically died the day I found out you were dead," she hissed, wiping away angry tears.

"Oh, Lily-Lou, I had to leave. Someone was after me and I couldn't bring danger to our family's door."

"You could have _told_ us you were in trouble."

"But how could I explain it to Father and Mother? Or Petunia? They wouldn't understand."

"You could have told _me_!"

"And risk your life? I don't think so," he said, crossing his arms.

"Well, I'm involved now, so you can't help it," she said, nose in the air.

"To hell I can't! That reminds me, I must talk to James about this whole… involving you thing," he said, making his way to the door.

"Oh no you don't, Paul Alexander Evans! I'm going to search for the treasure as well," she said, following him out.

"No, you're not," he said, going down the stairs.

"I'm not a little girl anymore, Paul. I can do whatever I please to do."

"That's where you are wrong," he said, reaching Jack's study and turning to face her. "I'm your brother; therefore, I can dictate what you can and cannot do. Father isn't here to do so, so that leaves _me _in charge of _you_." Paul opened the door and stormed in.

"James, tell my sister she isn't going with us!"

"James, tell him I am!"

James looked at the pair, bewildered. The brother and sister's eyes were both sparkling in anger, although he had to admit Lily was prettier when angry than Paul.

"Lily, I can't allow –"

"WHAT! You bloody well put me on your damn ship! If you didn't want me to come, then why did you take me away?!"

"Wait, you did what?" Paul asked, turning to James.

"Well, I thought you would want to see your brother… yes! That's it!"

"Nice save," Sirius whispered in his ear.

"Wait a minute," Lily said, deathly quiet, "you _knew _my brother was alive _and you didn't tell me_?"

Everyone was silent. "Well, you see," James said, trying to explain himself. "I –well –"

"James," Paul sighed, "let me explain. Why don't we all go to the sitting room and I will explain everything and start from the beginning."

Everyone walked into the next room. It was a mint green color with cream and green striped upholstery. Some of the tropical flowers found in the gardens had been placed throughout the room. The hardwood floor had a lush floral patterned rug on it. There were different watercolors of places Lily could only assume were of Jamaica, placed on the walls. For a man, Uncle Jack's tastes were impeccable.

Lily sat herself daintily down in a plush chair and smoothed her skirts. She turned to her brother who was standing and pacing in the center of the room. James, Sirius, and Remus had taken the couch and Uncle Jack was sitting in the matching chair beside her.

"Well?" she asked, bringing Paul out of his pacing. He took a deep breath and looked at her and started his story.

A/N: Mwahhahahahah! Cliff Hanger! Don't you just hate them? Anyways, thanks for the reviews keep 'em coming please!


	18. Chapter 18

You see," Paul started, "When I was a young boy, only ten or twelve, I was fascinated by myths and legends, as you well know. Lochness Monster, Arthur and the Knights of the Roundtable, Cortez's Aztec gold, you name it! However, one legend always caught my attention. Atlantis. How could a city just sink and never be seen again?"

"I must have spent years pondering about it. After awhile, though, Atlantis started to drift from my mind as you took over all my thoughts and concerns." Lily must have looked guilty because he sent a reassuring smile to her.

"Not that I would have wanted it any other way. Father was also trying to get me into his side business, so I didn't have a lot of time to worry about things that weren't real."

"I was going on a trip to the Caribbean, as Father had wanted me to do. He said it would give me discipline. At that time, I was 16, so it was only 5 years ago. We had made port in a tiny town that didn't have a lot of villagers. We thought we were close to the Bermuda Triangle. I myself had decided I wanted to go into the jungle to explore rather than making a fool of myself by getting drunk and wenching." At this, he looked pointedly at Sirius, who managed to look sheepish.

"As I got deeper and deeper into the forest, I felt something calling me. I had no clue what it was, and now that I look back on it, I was incredibly stupid. Who knows what could have been luring me to my possible death!"

"Anyway, I came upon this cave. It wasn't terribly large, but it was the size of a small cabin. There was a large pool that opened into it and flowed into the cave. It seemed as though I was being called into the cave!"

"I waded through the pool and made my way through the cave. When I stepped in, I was speechless. The cave was nothing like how I imagined it to be. Inside were thousands of jewels imbedded into the stone walls. The jewels were of multiple hues and varieties. There were stone carvings and paintings of people from some ancient civilization. It was absolutely remarkable!"

"As I looked farther into the cave, I saw a large stone sculpture of a man sitting on a throne. The man had a beard and he was muscular. The sculpture was very lifelike, but the thing that drew me in was the necklace upon the statue's neck. It appeared to be a choker and extremely small on the large statue."

"I walked closer to it until I was at the statues knee. I climbed upon it in order to get a better look at the necklace. As a fingered it, the Medallion triggered a memory of my childhood. It made me think of Atlantis! Taking it off, I held it in my hands and looked at it in wonder. Here in my hand lay a piece of history that proved that myth was actually fact!"

"Suddenly, the cave started to rumble and shake. It had started to collapse! Pillars were falling into the water and creating splashes. Rocks from the ceiling were falling as well. I wasn't sure if I was going to get out alive." Lily took a sharp intake of breath at this statement.

"Not to worry, dear sister," he said, "I obviously made it out with everything intact, just a little shaken up."

"I quickly made my way to town after that. I must have looked a wreck. I was wet and debris was all over my coat. None of the crew questioned my appearance, probably thinking I had drunk a little too much and had fallen into a trough or something," he chuckled at that.

"I was eager to get home and look for some of my old books in search of what this Medallion could mean. Before I got to town, however, I had tucked it into my shirt and vest. I knew that it was valuable and men would try and steal it."

"During the whole voyage, I was most anxious to get home. I think the crew must have thought I wanted to see my family, so my annoying behavior was excused."

"We were off the coast of Portugal, I think, when we were attacked by pirates."

Lily looked towards James, "Was it –"

"No, it was another ship. A ship called the _Morsmordre_. Many of the men seemed truly terrified of this ship –"

"And rightly so," Jack mumbled.

"However," Paul continued, "I had no clue what we were up against. Captain Riddle, as I learned his name was, was on the ship to make a profit, but he left with more than he thought he would."

"We both fought and he managed to slice my shirt open, revealing the Medallion. As soon as he saw it, he stopped fighting and started fingering it. I wrenched it out of his grip and ran. He ran after me, but I was fast."

"Realizing what my only escape was, I jumped overboard and swam over to the figurehead on the bow. I spent two days with that figurehead. It was a sculpture that resembled Petunia, explaining the name of the ship. Needless to say, I wasn't pleased to see Petunia when I got home. I much preferred the sculpture that didn't talk," he said, his eyes twinkling with mirth. Lily giggled at his joke.

"As soon as we made port, I climbed onto the dock and praised God that I was finally on land. I looked around, seeing if you were there, and when I spotted our family carriage, I didn't want you to wonder about my appearance, so I got a horse and rode home."

"I remember that," Lily said. "I asked one of the crew members where you were and they said you had already headed home. He said he was surprised to see you alive as he thought you were killed. I asked him why he would think that, but he didn't elaborate. The man also directed me to your trunk. I was so mad at you," she said, glaring at him.

He laughed, "Yes, and I do remember getting quite an earful from you when I got back. Even at twelve you were quite the little spit fire that you are today." Lily blushed and looked to retort when he quickly diverted her attention.

"Back to the story, after your berating session, I headed to my personal library for the book on Atlantis. I must have pulled every book from the shelf in my pursuit."

"When I finally found it, I was severely disappointed. The book had a picture of the Medallion, but only a brief description about its purpose."

"Discouraged, I put the Medallion away in a secret compartment, knowing about Petunia's snooping habit. I really didn't want her to find it. Who knew what she would do with it?"

"It wasn't until a year later, when I was preparing for another trip, that I felt compared to wear it again. On that voyage, we were again attacked by pirates, and yes, this time it was dear old James who attacked us."

"During the fight, the Medallion must have slipped out, because James saw it and immediately demanded to speak with me. Once we were in the safety of his cabin, he explained to me the importance of the Medallion and its history. We agreed on a deal to split the treasure. I then proceeded to tell him about my run in with Captain Riddle, and that is when we decided to stage my death."

"We agreed that we couldn't go straight into the pursuit, but rather lay low. James allowed me to go back home, say good bye and hide the Medallion."

"I gave it to you, Lily, because I knew you could keep it safe. You must know that it almost broke my heart to leave you. I didn't know when or if I'd ever return. I was terrified about what Mother and Father would do to you."

"When I left, I met up with James, Sirius, and Remus, and we headed to Jamaica, where I've been staying since," Paul finished, looking at her.

Lily remained silent, trying to digest it all. "I think I need to rest," she said, standing up. "This is a lot to take in," and with that, Lily walked to her room.

A/N: So, there's the explanation! Did you see the nod to Pirates of the Caribbean? I hope you all enjoyed it. Please, please, please, please review! They help and encourage! Thanks again!


	19. Chapter 19

As Lily went into her room, Rita walked in behind her. "Miss Lily, would you like me to draw you a bath?" Lily said nothing, but just nodded.

Rita busied herself to get the bath ready. She pulled a large wash basin out of a cabinet and rang a bell. Minutes later other maids came in with buckets of steaming water. Rita motioned for Lily to get undressed and she complied.

Once Lily stepped into the warm water and sat, she felt the tension in her muscles leave her. She felt Rita washing her hair with different perfumes and it was soothing to her.

Lily didn't know how long she sat there with her eyes closed, just dozing, until she heard a knock on the door. "Just a minute," she called, "I need to dress."

"Not anything I haven't seen before, love," she heard Sirius call in his jocular tone. Lily scowled and stood up, grabbing a soft towel and patting herself dry. Rita had already excused herself from the room, so Lily was left alone to dress.

She grabbed a nightgown from a drawer and quickly threw on a robe. Her hair was still wet and it flowed down her back in curls.

Lily opened the door and looked at Sirius, "Yes, Mr. Black?"

"Come now, Lilikins. Call me Sirius! We are friends now. Hell, I've seen more of you than your other friends have!" Lily flushed in anger.

"What do you want, Sirius?" she asked, opening the door wider. Sirius walked in and jumped on her bed and kept bouncing. Lily walked over and stood in front of him.

"Lils, your bed is so much more bouncy and softer than mine. If I didn't know any better, I'd say James likes you better."

Lily blushed and sighed, "Sirius, I'll ask you one more time, what on Earth possessed you to come to my bedroom at this time of the night?"

Sirius sighed, "Listen, Lily, your brother and James mean well –"

"Really? Because I don't think they know what's best for me. I think _I _know what's best for me!"

"Lily, they both care about you a lot, and you're just too blind or stupid to see it!" he said. Lily had never seen Sirius so… serious.

"James doesn't care; he just thinks I'm a nuisance."

"If that were true, he wouldn't have taken you in the first place."

"What do you mean?" she asked, curious.

Sirius sighed, "Lily, he was never supposed to take you as well. James was only suppose to take the Medallion if he ever found you and then send you on your way to Port John. I think he took you because he liked you. He must have seen something in you. What, I have no idea."

Lily was silent for a while. "Sirius?"

"Hm?"

"Why didn't you like me in the beginning?" she asked timidly.

"Well, first of all, you were taking away my best friend. James and I… we've been together for a long time. We are brothers, no, more than that. I guess I was scared you would come between us and change him, which you sort of did."

Lily started to say something, but Sirius interrupted, "but now I see he's a better man. He seems happier."

"Sirius," Lily started, "he's not even courting me. I don't think he has any feelings for me. He's always so frustrated with me, and now he doesn't even want me to go with you all!"

"Lily, Lily, Lily," Sirius said, "it's because he doesn't wasn't you hurt! You _are _blind if you can't see what's in front of you!"

Lily opened her mouth in protest, but closed it when she saw him instantly sober up.

"There's something else, another reason why I detested you," he said.

"You see, when I was little, I was sent to my father to be raised as the next Lord Black."

"Lord Black! He's a vile and cruel man. He is nothing at all like you!" she gasped.

"Yes, that's my dear old father and it was my future. I was raised to be cruel to those beneath me and to have not emotions. Needless to say, I hated it there and ran away. James and Uncle Jack took me in and I've been with them ever since. I guess you could say I didn't hate you, just everything you brought back. Those memories came pouring into my mind as soon as you stepped on board."

"I'm deeply sorry, Sirius," she whispered, "but you have to understand that I am not like your father. Hell, I'm not even like my own!"

Sirius laughed, "Yes, I can sort of see that now."

"So, are we all good?" she asked, looking hesitatingly at him.

"Yes, we are," he said, smiling and standing up. Lily smiled and hugged him. Sirius stiffened at the contact, then gave in and hugged her back. He took a step back and looked at her.

"You just think about what I told you about James and Paul."

Lily nodded and Sirius walked out the door. Lily watched as the door closed and she sat back down on her bed.

She reflected on what Sirius had said. Did James really like her? She shook her head. What about Paul? She knew she had to go with them. She was involved now and no one could stop her from going.

She sighed and nestled into her covers. The sound of the ocean drifted from her window and lulled her to sleep.


	20. Chapter 20

The next morning, Lily woke up to the light shining through her window. She got out of bed and quietly made her way to the clothing press to pull out a dress. She chose the powder blue dress and a white apron and cap.

After dressing, she walked to the stairs and realized she was starving. Since she had practically stormed out of the sitting room last night, she had missed supper. She couldn't wait for breakfast.

It wasn't until she was in the foyer that she realized she had no clue where the dining room was. Lily looked around for one of the servants, but couldn't find any. Sighing, she resigned herself to looking around the mansion until she could find it.

She recognized that the study and sitting room was to her left, so she decided to go right. She found herself in another sitting room that, this time, had a reddish color scheme to it. Looking through the room, she found another door, so she went through this one.

Opening the door, she found a hall. At the end of the hall, she heard loud and cheerful voices. Happy to finally hear some people, she walked towards the voices.

As Lily walked through the doorway, she sighed in relief. She had finally found her brother, James, Sirius, Remus, and Uncle Jack.

Upon seeing Lily, the conversation died and an awkward silence ensued.

Straightening herself and tilting her chin up, Lily walked to an empty seat and sat down regally. Clearing his throat, Uncle Jack was the first to speak.

"Miss Evans, I trust you slept well last night?"

"Yes, thank you sir. The bed was most comfortable. I don't recall having a better sleep," she replied, smiling in his direction.

"About that, James," Sirius said, looking at the young captain, "why does _she_ get the most comfortable bed in the house? And here I was, thinking you loved me, but I guess I was just wrong," he fake sobbed.

"You old dog, you could sleep anywhere and be out like a light. Hell, I know for a fact you spent a night in a barrel once!"

"Hey! You try running from a big, angry father after he just found out you slept with his daughter and see what you'll do to escape him!" And with that the tension was broken.

"Did that really happen, Sirius?" Paul asked, looking dubious.

"Yes, it did," Remus sighed. "We had to leave as soon as we found him. Actually, we haven't gone back. You see, the father apparently had the ear of the governor, so we were banned from ever going back."

"Shame, really," James said, "it was a nice town. They had good food."

"And even better women," Sirius said, waggling his eyebrows. Everyone laughed.

Another set of doors opened and slaves came in carrying platters of different foods. Lily's mouth watered at the sight of the biscuits, ham, eggs, and sausages that were arranged artfully on the plates.

As soon as the food was on the table, Lily started scooping spoonfuls of food onto her plate. Real food looked and smelled really good now after having ship food for a month.

Paul stared at Lily in shock. Who was this ravenous stranger who had replaced his proper sister?

"Um, Lily, are you hungry?" he asked. Lily looked at him with a mouthful of eggs. She looked at him sheepishly and swallowed.

"Yes, I haven't had real food since about a month ago. Plus, all of this looks _so_ mouth watering!" she said, spearing another sausage and placing it in her mouth.

Light and polite chatter ensued during breakfast. Everyone was happy that Lily seemed to forget about the trip and the treasure.

Once the meal was done, everyone was pleasantly full, James and Sirius were seen rubbing their stomachs in satisfaction.

Lily had a plan. She had already lulled thim into a sense of comfort, and they wouldn't expect her to bring up the search.

"So, I guess everyone will be looking for a way to open the Medallion soon," she started. Uncle Jack looked at her and she knew that he knew what she was doing. Instead of calling her out on it, he simply winked at her.

Surprised, she continued, "So I'm assuming you will need the Medallion soon."

"Yes, you assume correct," James said, thinking she would just give it to them.

"So, will you need it on the journey as well?" she asked.

"Yes," Paul answered.

"Perfect!" she exclaimed. "I will go with you then."

"WHAT?!" James asked, startled and almost falling out of his seat.

"You heard me. I get to go with you!"

"No," Paul said, "you will give us the Medallion, then we, as in James, Sirius, Remus, and I, will go in search of the treasure."

"No, I think you misunderstand," she said, a sly cat's grin on her face. "You see, have you noticed how the Medallion hasn't come off my neck?"

"Lily," Paul sighed, "just because you've become emotionally attached to it doesn't mean you can't part from it."

"Au contraire, dear brother of mine, that is where you are wrong. I can't remove the necklace. It won't come off, so that means you will have to take me!" she said, looking pleased with herself.

"What do you mean it won't come off?" Remus asked, curious.

"Just that. Watch me try and take it off." Lily lifted it out from under her bodice and proceeded to try and lift it off her neck. She was met by an invisible barrier. "See."

"How odd," Remus muttered.

Lily looked over to Uncle Jack and he seemed amused. She then turned her attention to Paul and James. Both were staring at the Medallion in horror.

"That thing better bloody well come off!" Paul said, marching over to Lily. He proceeded to try and lift it off, but again he was met with the barrier.

"How did this happen?" he whispered.

"Well," Uncle Jack spoke, "I'm thinking that since you never wore it for that long and then entrusted someone else with it, she became the… ah… Protector of the Medallion. It formed a bond and will not part from its Protector."

Remus looked as though it made perfect since, Sirius still confused, and Paul and James looked devastated.

"But –you –and –the –" James stuttered.

"Well, that's that," Uncle Jack said, standing up and smiling. "Miss Evans is going along with you all."

As he started to walk out, he turned back around, "I just thought it would be nice to let you know that we are having a ball tomorrow night. You know, to celebrate your return," and with that, Jack walked out.

Lily looked at James and Paul with a bright smile and stood up, "So, does anyone want to show me around?" James and Paul scowled at her and Sirius looked longingly at the door.

"I think I'm going into town," he said, "you know, to... reacquaint myself with certain peoples." He got up and walked out.

"More like certain women," Remus muttered. "Well, it seems as though it will be I who shows you around, Miss Evans, seeing as those two are incapable of speech at the moment."

"Please, Mr. Lupin, I insist that you call me Lily."

"Alright, Lily, as long as you address me by Remus."

Lily nodded and giggled as Remus stood up. He held an arm out to her and the pair strolled out, leaving the two disgruntled men glaring as they watched them go.

A/N:Now we have a use for the emerald green dress! Thank you so much for the reviews. I will be away for a week, so there won't be any updates for a while. Sorry! But please keep reviewing!


	21. Chapter 21

Lily and Remus strolled through the corridors as Remus pointed out the rooms. She found another sitting room, a more formal and larger dining room, and a grand ballroom on the first level.

The grand staircase and foyer had a powder blue theme as did most of the halls. As they walked up the stairs, Lily looked in wonder at the numerous paintings of still lifes. They looked so real!

Once up stairs, Remus pointed out Sirius' and his room again. Across from Lily's room were James' quarters. Lily blushed at the thought of James so close to her while she slept.

Down the hall was Paul's room and even farther down was a pair of French doors leading to a large balcony that overlooked the elaborate gardens.

"On the other wing is where Uncle Jack's room is," Remus said, knowing Lily was curious as to where his room was. "Most of the other guests stay in that wing as well."

As soon as they finished touring the upstairs, Remus took her back downstairs where they met Paul and James. The pair of gentlemen looked at them awkwardly.

"Remus," Paul said, "may we please speak to my sister?" Remus nodded and bowed slightly to Lily.

"Thank you so much, Remus, for the tour," she said.

Paul held out his arm and Lily reluctantly took it. James walked on the other side of her.

"I thought we could tour the gardens," Paul said, leading her to a set of large glass French doors.

Once outside, Lily couldn't help but gasp. There were exquisite tropical flowers of all different colors arranged artfully around the garden. It was a large lawn with multiple fruit trees, flowers, hedges in different shapes as well.

The group walked in silence for a while until Paul cleared his throat.

"Lily, James and I are truly sorry for any anguish we caused you."

Lily humphed at this.

"I know that we should have explained this earlier to you or not involved you at all –"

"Not involve me! But then I wouldn't know you were alive! Paul, how could you even think that? I myself am quite happy that I am now involved."

"Yes, I know that, but we're not."

"And why ever not? Listen to me, Paul Alexander Evans, I am no little girl. I haven't been one for a long time and you can thank yourself for that. I was forced to grow up the day you 'died'. I don't want to hear anymore of this nonsense about not getting me involved because I am and there's nothing you can do about it!" she ranted.

"Lily," James sighed, "we know that you are involved now and we _are_ taking you on the search. We just want you to understand where we are coming from. We were only worried about you safety because –we –well –I –I mean –he –"

"What James is trying to say is that we _both_ care," Paul said.

Lily looked over at James and saw a blush spreading across his face.

"We just didn't want you to get hurt," Paul continued.

"I can understand that, but I do want you to know that I am not a little girl anymore and I can look after myself. Plus, I'll be with you two, so I will be safe."

The two men pondered over this statement then nodded. It was true.

"Good, now that everything is settled, why don't we talk about the upcoming ball? I am so looking forward to it," she said, smiling brightly.

Paul gave a furtive glance towards James and then cleared his throat. "Yes, Lily-Lou, while I'd like nothing more than to talk with you right now, I must get back into the house and do some research."

"Oh, must you go now?" she asked, looking disappointed.

"I am most aggrieved, dear sister, but it must be done," he said, bowing and walking back to the house.

"Well, I suppose it's just the two of us for now, James," Lily said, turning to face him. He looked panic stricken for a few seconds and then he straightened himself out and held his arm out to her.

"Shall we?" he asked.

"We shall," she said, giggling and taking his arm.

The pair started walking in silence. Neither knew what to say to the other so it was awkward to both. Finally, Lily broke the silence.

"So, does your uncle hold many balls here?"

"No, only when we have returned from a very long trip or if he feels that it is necessary. His balls are quite the word of the town here. Everyone looks forward to them and they tend to last all night."

"That is so exciting," she exclaimed, "I haven't been to a ball in a long time. Mother tended to think I was a disgrace to the family and I shouldn't be allowed in public places such as balls, where I could embarrass her and the family," Lily said, blushing.

"I am so sorry, Lily," James whispered.

"It's alright, James," she said softly, "I no longer have to see her or listen to her degrading remarks."

James cleared his throat and the pair stopped walking. He turned to face her and spoke, "Lily I was wondering –well –I was hoping –that you would –well –er –"

"What is it, James?"

"Wouldyouliketogototheballwithme?"

"Pardon? I didn't quite catch that," she said, looking at him curiously.

"I said, would you allow me to escort you to the ball?" he said, after taking a deep breath.

"Oh!" she said, blushing. "Well –I –"

"Of course, I can understand why you wouldn't. I mean I'm sure you were planning on having Paul escort you and I really shouldn't have asked. I –"

"James," Lily interrupted, looking into his eyes. "I would like you to escort me."

"What?!"

"I said, I would like you to escort me," she repeated, her face flushing.

"Oh! Well, thank you!" he stammered. "Well, I suppose you need to talk to Rita about your dress for tomorrow, so I'll just lead you back into the house."

"Thank you, James," she said. The pair made their way back to the house, both hiding secret smiles.


	22. Chapter 22

The next day, the whole house was in an uproar trying to get ready for the ball. Servants were running around decorating and cleaning. Tantalizing scents were drifting throughout the house from the kitchen.

Lily was upstairs taking a relaxing bath. Rita was currently washing Lily's hair and putting rose perfumes in it. She felt the warm water seep into her muscles and release the tension she felt from the nervousness about the upcoming ball.

As she stepped out of the tub, she took a fluffy white towel and pattered herself dry. She walked over to a clean white shift on her bed and slipped it on. Rita handed her white silk stockings and two green satin garters.

After putting on the stockings and tying the garters, Rita turned her around and slipped her stays around her torso. Lily held onto the bedpost as Rita laced her up and tightened. She sucked in her breath as she felt the tightening of the stays. Rita stopped when Lily almost couldn't breathe.

"It's a little tight, Rita. Do you think you could loosen me up a bit?"

"No, Miss Lily, I promise you will get use to it. I've seen tighter lacings than these. After so many weeks at sea where you didn't wear them, you just aren't accustomed to the stays."

"If you say so, Rita. I really don't want to faint tonight."

"Oh, you wouldn't mind if it meant falling into Captain Potter's arms!" she teased.

"Rita!" Lily blushed.

Rita just smiled and got out the hoops. Rita tied them along her waist and Lily noticed how tiny her waist looked now due to a combination of the stays and hoops.

Once all of Lily's undergarments were on, Rita walked over to the clothes press to get her dress. Rita pulled out the lovely emerald green dress she had gotten from the dress shop a month ago. It still made her gasp in amazement every time she saw it.

Rita helped her into the cream silk petticoat with lace and drapes on it. She smoothed it over the hoops so it fell around her prettily. Then, Rita put the green dress on her. The cream ruffles fell prettily around her elbows and there was some green bunching around it. The cream silk stomacher with green, blue, and gold silk embroidered flowers gave a pretty view of her breasts that had been pushed up.

Once the dress was on, Rita started curling her hair with hot tongs that had been place in the fireplace earlier. Her hair was falling down her back in bouncy curls. Then, Rita started artfully pinning curls on the top of her head until she had half of her hair up and the other half down. Rita then pinned a circlet of pearls around the mass of curls piled on her head. The effect was stunning.

Rita then opened up a small mahogany jewelry box and revealed two pearl bracelets. She placed both on each of Lily's wrists. There was also a pair of emerald earbobs and Rita placed them in Lily's ears.

"Rita, where did these come from?" she asked, motioning to the jewelry.

"Master Jack thought you needed something to wear. He's a kind man, that Master Jack is."

"Yes, he is," Lily said, still staring in disbelief.

"Well, come now, Miss Lily, let me put some powder on your face and a dash of perfume," Rita said, motioning to the vanity table.

After powdering Lily's face and spraying a dash of rose perfume, Lily stepped into a pair of cream silk high-heeled dancing slippers with tiny embroidered flowers that matched her stomacher.

"Oh, Miss Lily, you look absolutely beautiful!" Rita exclaimed.

"Thank you so much, Rita. I really appreciate you helping me get ready."

"Think nothing of it. I just can't wait to see Captain Potter's reaction," she said, giving Lily a sly glance. Lily blushed but said nothing.

Taking a deep breath, Lily walked over to the door and opened it. She heard the distant sound of voices chattering, coming from the bottom of the stairs.

Lily walked down the hall and took another deep breath before she reached the top of the stairs.

James was waiting at the bottom of the stairs for Lily. He typically hated these balls that his uncle put together, but couldn't help but feel excited for tonight.

He checked his clothing once more to make sure he looked acceptable. James was wearing cream silk breeches and cream silk stockings. His waistcoat was black with cream and green ivy embroidered on it. His coat was an emerald green with gold lining. He was wearing a cream silk cravat with lace. His shiny black shoes had a gold buckle on it. James' hair was still windswept, and though it would be frowned upon in most society, all the women didn't seem to have an issue with it by the looks of their flirty glances.

His back was currently turned away from the staircase. The men and women suddenly turned their eyes to the top of the stairs and gasped.

Lily was standing there looking gorgeous. His mouth dropped in amazement. She looked down below her and then floated down the stairs.

The emerald green made her eyes sparkle and pop. Her hair looked to be on fire and set her pale skin off. Her chest had been pushed up and he had to rebuke himself for staring. The tiny waist was accentuated by her large skirts. James was speechless and she floated in front of him.

He heard her cough slightly and it shook him out of his stupor. He bowed to her and kissed her hand. Lily giggled and curtsied.

"Lily," he breathed, "you look like a true lily flower, no, better and more exquisite than your namesake." She blushed at the compliment.

"You look nice, too, James," she said, smiling.

"Thank you, but it seems you are missing something," he said, reaching into his pocket.

"What is it?"

"This," he said, pulling out a pearl strand necklace with a large emerald pendant inlaid in gold. Lily gasped. She had never seen anything as beautiful.

"Now, I know you are wearing the Medallion, but since you can only see the chain, I was hoping you would wear this as well," he said, nervously.

"Oh, James, I would love to!" she said, turning around to allow him to fasten it on her neck.

James placed it around her neck, lingering after he fastened it. Her skin was as smooth as a rose petal.

Lily fingered the necklace then looked back to James, turning to face him.

"James, wherever did you get this?"

"It was my mother's," he said. "This was one of the only things she had from her… previous life. Uncle Jack kept it safe for me. I thought it was time to bring it out."

"Oh, James! That is so kind of you!" she said, throwing her arms around him. James hesitatingly placed his arms around her waist; reveling in her warmth and inhaling her rose sent that had only been magnified.

Lily stepped back and blushed. She cleared her throat and smiled.

"I suppose we should go in now," she said, motioning to the ballroom.

"Yes," he said, smiling back at her and holding out his arm to her. She regally took it and the pair made their way into the room full of colorfully clad people and cheery music.


	23. Chapter 23

James and Lily waded their way through the crowded room. People called out to James and he merely bowed his head and smiled, leading Lily to where Sirius and Remus were standing. Both were surveying the room. Sirius' eyes held a slight gleam in them and she knew he was looking at the women.

"So, Siri-boy, have you found anyone to your liking?" James asked with a grin.

"Oh yes. I've seen about ten who look positively delectable and about twenty who are already eyeing me," he replied, still looking out at the dancing figures.

"You old dog," Remus said, "better be careful with who you choose. We don't want you making any fathers or brothers mad. I'm sure Uncle Jack won't appreciate it."

"Not to worry, Remus, old boy," Sirius said, thumping him on the back. "You know I'm extra careful around here. Is that Miss Anderson? My, my, she has grown up nicely." Sirius started making his way to a buxom blonde in pink.

"Poor girl," Lily heard James mutter, "She doesn't stand a chance." Lily giggled at this.

"I suppose I must supervise him," Remus said, sighing. "I'll just find a lady a make sure to dance close to him so he doesn't know."

"Have fun with that! I've babysat Sirius before and you'll need luck. He's a sneaky little blighter," James said, grinning.

"Yes, now where did he and Miss Anderson go? Damn," Remus muttered, walking off in pursuit of the handsome pirate.

James turned to Lily and bowed. "Miss Evans, would you honor me with a dance?"

Lily smiled and nodded. James led her onto the dance floor and clasped her hand. He then placed his hand in the small of her back. Lily placed her hand on his shoulder.

The music started and Lily could recognize the three count beat of a waltz. He led her perfectly around the floor. He was one of the best men she had ever danced with.

All the while, James was staring deeply into her eyes. Lily couldn't help but be lost in them as he turned her and held her close. This man standing in front of her and holding her was an amazing man. She couldn't help but feel the pull towards him.

She thought back to what everyone had told her. Was she falling in love with James? No. She wasn't. She couldn't be… Lily gasped.

She was already in love with James Potter.

James looked at her worriedly, but she simply gave him a reassuring smile back. When had this happened? Sure, she had felt a "pull" to him and thought he was handsome, but really, he was a pirate! A lady should not love a pirate!

But hadn't he told her repeatedly she was no lady? That _was_ true. So maybe it was alright to love him. Yes, she could love him. Well, it didn't seem as though she had much of a choice. One can not choose who they fall in love with. He was a good man, even if he was a pirate.

After they had danced a couple more songs, James released her from his hold and Lily instantly felt cold from the loss of contact and she longed to have him hold her again.

James took her hand instead and led her out to the gardens. They looked so different in the night light! Candles had been placed around the walk way and the moonlight put a soft glow on everything.

James led Lily deeper into the gardens until he reached a fountain. The pair sat down in silence on the ledge. For a while, all that could be heard was the sound of the flowing water.

"So," James said, breaking the silence, "are you enjoying yourself tonight?"

"Yes, I am. It seems like something out of a fairytale and not my real life! James, this has been marvelous," she replied.

James looked into her eyes. Slowly, their faces started to drift closer together. Lily closed her eyes as James' lips just hovered above hers. Slowly and softly, Lily felt his warm lips against hers.

An electric current shot through her body as James' lips started moving against hers. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer.

Lily's heart beat faster in her breast as she responded to the kiss. There was nothing better than kissing James Potter.

As the need for air became dire, the pair broke apart. James looked at her and breathed her name.

"You have no idea how long I have wanted to do that," he said softly.

Lily smiled at him. "So have I, James."

"Lily, I think I'm in love with you."

Lily stared at him, open mouthed. But, she thought he hated her! She knew she loved him, but the thought of him loving her back never occurred to her as a possible feeling.

James, taking her silence as rejection, quickly got up to leave. As he was almost to the hedges, Lily ran to him and grasped his hand.

He looked at her with sadness in his eyes. He had put himself in a most vulnerable position and he thought she had made a mockery of him by rejection.

"James," she whispered, smiling. "I love you, too."

Life restored into his eyes as a broad grin spread across his face. He took Lily into his arms and swung her around. Lily giggled as he laughed merrily.

James placed her back onto her feet and they looked into each other's eyes. James captured her lips once more and they shared a mind blowing kiss, only stopping for more air before going back down to kiss her again.

Lily didn't know how long they stood there kissing. James had gently asked for entrance with his tongue. Lily eagerly complied and almost moaned at the amazing things his tongue was doing. She was extremely glad that he was hold her or she would have collapsed.

James broke the kiss and started placing kisses along her jaw and then to the pressure point on her neck.

His hands were encircling her waist and she felt safe in his embrace. He captured her lips one last time before breaking the kiss again.

Lily groaned at the loss of his lips on hers. He let out a soft laugh.

Lily looked into his eyes again and could see that they had darkened in lust. She couldn't believe she did that to him!

James placed his forehead against hers. "That was the most amazing kiss," he breathed.

"For once, I can't argue with you, James." He smiled.

"Lily, I love you so much."

She smiled, "I love you, too."

"I am so glad that you do."

"When did you realize it?" she asked, leading them to a bench near the fountain.

"Honestly, I think it was the moment you stepped onto the stairs tonight. However, I think I fell in love with you the moment you refused to eat and went against me," he said, softly laughing at the memory.

Lily smiled, "I realized it as we were dancing. I fell in love with you when you burst into my room fuming. You were adorable."

"I am never adorable!" he said, highly affronted. "I am either dashing or handsome."

Lily laughed, "No, love, you are terribly adorable."

James pouted, and Lily only laughed harder.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Lily looked over to James. "So, now what? Where do we go from here?"

James straightened himself and stood up. Lily looked up at him in confusion. He got down on one knee and held her hand. Lily visibly paled.

"James, what –"

"Lily, would you do me the honor of allowing me to court you?" he asked solemnly.

Lily laughed in relief, "Yes James, I would be delighted."

He looked at her in amusement. "Did you think I was going to propose?" he teased.

"Well, yes. The thought sort of terrified me!"

"Why would it terrify you?" he asked curiously.

"I just realized I loved you. I don't think I'm quite ready to handle the thought of marriage."

"Good, because I'm not ready either," he said, smiling slightly.

"Come now, Lily-love," he said, standing again and taking her hand. "I think we should get back to the party before your brother comes after me."

Lily giggled and nodded. The pair walked back to the buzzing house with large smiles.


	24. Chapter 24

As James and Lily made their way back into the ballroom, they saw Uncle Jack in a dashing gray silver jacket with a silver and gold diamond patterned vest. His shirt was black and he had white breeches. His silk stockings were black as well as his shoes.

Lily thought he played the part of a dashing pirate well and it came to no surprise that many of the women were flocking to him. He was lucky and had kept his strong and slim build unlike the other gentlemen in the room who had a belly. It was obvious that the women in the room approved of him and must not have known of his shady past.

Currently, he was talking to a couple of men and laughing as they joked and made merriment. James led her over to him and bowed. Lily followed his lead and curtsied.

"Uncle," he said, smiling, "I must admit that this must be one of your most enjoyable ball."

Jack looked upon him with a twinkle in his eyes. "But, my dear nephew, how can you know? I have only seen you in here in the beginning. You and your friend seemed to have wandered off."

Lily blushed as the men laughed.

"Now Uncle, you know me better than that. I have been nothing short of a gentleman to Miss Evans"

"I must agree with Captain Potter, sir. Your nephew is a most admirable man," she said, eyes shining as she looked at James. He smiled back.

"My fellow gentlemen," Jack said, gaining the attention of the other men in their small group, "may I introduce Miss Lily Evans, daughter of the current governor of Port John."

Each man bowed to her and gave their names. Mr. Gale was a portly man with thinning brown hair. Mr. Lowe was a thin and wiry man with a large nose and black hair that was obviously a wig. Lastly, Mr. Pulley, a short and stocky man with many wrinkles and a white wig. The men seemed pleasant enough, but Lily was eager to dance.

Uncle Jack, seeing her longing look towards the dance floor, offered her his hand.

"Miss Evans, it seems as though you have yet to wear out your lovely dance shoes. It is such a crime for a pretty girl like you to be standing on the side lines instead of dancing out there! I would be honored if you would give me a dance."

"Captain Chevalier, it is I who would be honored," Lily replied, smiling.

Jack led her onto the floor with true elegance. He grabbed her around the waist and clasped her hand.

The pair was spinning around the floor and Lily found it hard to contain her laughter. Once they had slowed down, Uncle Jack engaged her into conversation.

"It was most admiring how you convinced your brother and James to allow you on this trip. I must say, it was almost… pirate-like," he said, smirking.

"Yes, well I figured it was the only way. I refuse to be looked down upon due to my gender," she replied.

"A very admirable thought, Miss Evans. I also realized how well you have these men wrapped around your finger. You do know that they will do just about anything for you?" he said, eyes sparkling.

"Really? I had no clue!" she said, giving him a secretive smile. He laughed heartily at this.

"I think I can see why James is so attracted to you!" Lily blushed. "It is quite obvious that he's infatuated with you."

"So I've been told," she said, smiling softly.

"But what I want to know is how you gained Sirius' trust. He is not an easy man to get close to. Yes, many women claim that they have, but it's only a game to him."

"But that's cruel!" Lily exclaimed.

"Yes, but his life has been hard and this is how he releases himself and his hidden anger. It's not right, but all he needs is our love and understanding."

Lily nodded and the pair was silent until Uncle Jack reminded her of his question.

"Oh!" she said, blushing.

"Well –you see, we had a sword fight," she started hesitantly.

"_You_ fought Sirius Black?!" he said in disbelief.

"Yes," she said indignantly, "and I won."

"You won! How in the world did you accomplish that?"

"James has been teaching me for about a month –"

"And you beat him after a month's worth of training!?"

"Well, he was winning for a while, and I was quite desperate to win. You see the stakes were quite high," she said.

"And what were the stakes?" Uncle Jack asked.

"To speak to James ever again," she said, staring at him with a look, daring him to comment. He didn't.

"Please continue, Miss Evans. You have now piqued my interest."

"I was basically backed into a corner, so I diverted and pushed him overboard."

"And how exactly did you 'divert his attention', Miss Evans."

Looking rather indignant, she straightened herself as her face reddened. "My breast just happened to have fallen out of my shirt."

Uncle Jack started roaring with laughter. Several people turned to look at them, including James. Her face now looked like a tomato.

"Oh how I would have loved seen his face!" he exclaimed, still shaking in mirth.

"Yes, well, like I said, I was quite desperate!"

Uncle Jack quieted down and looked at her, deep in thought.

"You really do care for my nephew, don't you?" he stated.

"Yes sir, I do. Captain Chevalier, I am in love with him," she said honestly.

He examined her carefully before he spoke again, "James deserves a good life. I know some of my decisions for him may not have been in his best interests, but I tried deeply to give him a good life. I think you can give him one, too. Maybe an even better one."

"Captain Chevalier, you have given James a wonderful life. You have also raised him to be a caring and compassionate man," she said with truth in her voice.

The music died as the song ended. Jack looked over at her and smiled.

"Thank you Miss Evans," he said, leading her back over to James, who was currently talking to Remus, Paul, and Sirius. Sirius was still noticeably looking around the room like a predator for its prey.

As the pair approached the trio, James' eyes lit up as he looked at Lily and smiled.

"I'm truly sorry, James," Jack said, handing Lily over to James, "but Miss Evans was simply too marvelous of a dancer to not take her and simply dance the night away with!"

Lily blushed at the compliment and smiled over at the old pirate captain.

"I must protest, Captain, but I think it is you who is the better dance," she said.

"Miss Evans! You make this old man blush!" he said, his eyes twinkling.

Lily heard Sirius sigh as he stopped looking into the crowd. "Well, it seems as though all the attractive ladies are preoccupied at the moment," he looked to Lily, "Come on, Lily, I'll dance with you."

"After you insulted me!" she said haughtily, "I think not!" James was glaring at Sirius' insult and held her waist protectively.

"Come now, I was just joking!" he said, backing up slightly.

He then bowed deeply and held out his hand, "Miss Evans, would you do me the highest honor and dance with me?"

Lily sighed and nodded. Sirius let out a whoop of glee and led her quickly to the dance floor.

A quick and lively beat struck up as Sirius turned her around and around. Her feet had to work quickly through the little jumps and turns. It was quite exhausting dancing with Sirius.

"So, what's this I hear about you and James professing you undying love for each other?" he asked, turning her again.

"You heard correctly," Lily said, breathless from dancing.

In an instant, Sirius pulled her close and whispered in her ear, "If you didn't mean that or you hurt him, so help me God, I will kill you. Female or not. No one hurts my brother."

Before Lily could respond, Sirius had her spinning again and a smile was on his face. Lily wasn't even sure if he had really spoken or if she was just imagining things. She had a feeling she wasn't.

As Lily was pondering over Sirius' threat, the dance had ended quickly. Sirius led her back over to the group.

Paul was the next one to stand up and ask for her hand to dance. Lily nodded with a smile and he led her back to the dance floor.

Once the music started and Paul had positioned his arms, they started dancing a calmer and slower dance.

"I don't think I've had the pleasure with my baby sister yet. After all, I did miss your first ball due to my 'death'," he said quietly.

"Yes, well, I'm hardly a baby anymore," she said.

"I know, Lily-Lou. You have grown into a lovely young woman who I am extremely proud of. A woman, so I've heard, who's already given her heart away," he said, raising an eyebrow at her.

"I love him," she said, glancing over to James.

"Lily," he sighed, "do you think you are making a hasty assumption? You have been deprived of proper company and you were desperate to get away from your old life. However, that doesn't mean you can fall for the first man who is different."

"Paul! I thought you were his friend?! Why is it that he is good enough to be your friend, but he's not good enough for me?! In addition, I didn't fall for him because of that! You don't understand anything," she said, furious at his assumptions.

"I've seen many women fawn over him due to his suave manner and debonair looks. Please don't get caught in his net. You deserve a true gentleman with wealth who can keep you comfortable."

Lily stopped dancing and stepped out of his arms. "You know nothing of what you speak about. I truly love him."

"I don't doubt your love, but it's his I doubt," he said, imploring her to understand.

Lily stomped back over to James and Remus. Sirius seemed to have found another lady to dance with as he was spinning around the room with her.

She saw James look at her worriedly. Lily just shook her head and walked out of the room.

She turned as she felt a hand clasp around her wrist once she was at the stairs. Lily worked to swallow the lump in her throat as she turned to face the person.

James was looking into her eyes deeply worried at the tears he saw welling up. He didn't say anything, but pulled her into an embrace.

Sobs wracked through her body. Paul just didn't understand! James was a good man and he loved her. How dare he assume otherwise! She was finally happy. Happier than she had been in years and he had to go and spoil it.

Lily didn't know how long she stood there until she felt James pull away.

"Lily, I don't think you are up to dinner, are you?" he asked.

"No, not really," she replied, wiping her eyes with a handkerchief he had produced for her.

"How about I run to the kitchens or get someone to go for me to get you some food and you can eat in your room and retire early. I will tell Uncle Jack that you were not feeling well."

"Yes, that sounds wonderful," she sighed, wiping a few tears off of her face. "I'm dreadfully tired." It was true as James could see her eyelids drooping slightly.

James picked her up bridal style and carried her to her room.

He laid her gently onto her bed and kissed her forehead softly. He quietly asked Rita to fetch Lily some food.

"Good night, Lily-flower," he whispered, "I love you."

"I love you, too," she said, sleepily, with her eyes closed as she drifted off to her sweet dreams.

A/N: sorry that these seem to be coming out slower, but it seems that I have a little bit of writer's block. I promise to try hard and get out of it! Please review!


	25. Chapter 25

The next morning, Lily woke up and it took her a while to remember what happened last night. She smiled as she thought about James professing his love for her. She was happy.

Then, Lily groaned as she remembered her brother's reaction to James courting her. Why did he have to be so obnoxious? She was a grown woman who could take care of herself, thank you very much.

Lily turned to the door as she heard it open. Rita walked through carrying a tray full of tantalizing breakfast foods.

"Miss Lily! I'm happy to see you decided to wake up today! Captain Potter told me that you would want a bit of a lie in, so I brought up a spot of breakfast," Rita said, placing the tray on a table in the corner.

Lily smiled at her and got out of bed. Rita handed her a floral embroidered house coat. After putting the robe like coat on, she walked over to the mahogany table with matching chair and sat down. She picked up the fork and eagerly ate the eggs and ham.

After she had finished, Lily picked out a burgundy petticoat with a floral patterned jacket that laced up in the front and had pleats coming off the waist in the back. After slipping on a white cap, she turned to face Rita with and inquisitive glance.

"Where did all of these clothes come from?" she asked, motioning to the full clothes press and her current outfit.

"Oh! Master Jack thought you needed more clothes, so he placed an order at the local dress shop as soon as you arrived. They weren't finished until last night, when they were brought to your room," Rita explained.

"Oh my, Captain Chevalier is quite generous, and he has excellent taste!" Lily exclaimed, examining the clothes.

In the mahogany clothes press there was an array of colors, styles, and cuts of dresses, gowns, and petticoats. There was a bright royal blue day dress that popped out as well as a honey gold silk. There were floral, striped, and dotted patterns. She saw various green colors that she liked and to her delight, none of the dresses were pink! She absolutely abhorred pink as it was Petunia's favorite color. It was clashed terribly with her hair.

"Where is the Captain?" she asked, turning to Rita.

"Which one?" Rita asked, her eyes sparkling in a teasing manner.

"Oh, you!" Lily exclaimed, "You know who I am asking for!"

"Captain Chevalier is in his study," Rita replied, still smirking slightly.

"Thank you, Rita!" Lily said, flying out of the door and heading towards Uncle Jack's study. The door flew open as Lily came in and threw herself at Uncle Jack, kissing both of his cheeks

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she exclaimed.

"Mate, I think you have something to worry about," Lily heard Sirius stage whisper to James. James hit him on the back of the head with a _thwack_.

"Miss Evans! To what do I owe this grand display of affection!?" Jack asked laughingly.

"Oh!" she said, stepping back and blushing. "I just wanted to thank you for the clothes that you had ordered for me. They are absolutely gorgeous."

"Think nothing of it, Miss Evans. It was my pleasure. A beautiful flower like you deserves to be adorned in the very best!" he replied, taking her hand and kissing it.

Lily looked around the room and noticed that Sirius and Remus were both sitting in the chairs. James was now standing by her and Paul was leaning against the mantle, not paying attention to the commotion going on around him, but he instead kept staring into the fire. Lily was pleased to see he didn't look happy.

"So, what were you doing before I interrupted?" Lily asked, linking arms with James. She looked up at him as he smiled down at her, his eyes shining with love.

"We were just looking through a book on Atlantis and discussing what we will need for the journey," Uncle Jack said.

"With out me?" she said, raising an eyebrow at James. She was pleased to see him gulp.

"Of course not, dear!" he said quickly. "We won't make any decisions without you. Isn't that right, men?" he said, looking at Sirius and Remus, who both quickly nodded their heads.

"Good. Now do you mind telling me what you have found in the book?" she asked.

"Sadly, not a lot," Remus answered, standing up. "You see," he continued, "when Atlantis 'sunk', for lack of a better word, all records of Atlantis disappeared as well over the ages. What was once fact, turned to myth as people passed it verbally."

"Then how do you know that the Legend of the Medallion is real?" she asked.

"Ah! That's what we said, too. Then, we learned of the Librarian of Atlantis."

"But wouldn't he have perished along with the people and the city?"

"No, because King Meltos knew of the city's upcoming doom. Therefore, he knew to send the Librarian away, along with a select few manuscripts showing where Atlantis' wealth and history is held. He obviously couldn't give him more because it would be oddly suspicious if a man had so many ancient texts. The king also feared of the man being persecuted for the knowledge he held as so many in history are."

"But he can't be alive! Atlantis sank thousands of years ago!" Lily exclaimed.

"Again, that's what we thought," James said, taking over for Remus. "However, then we thought, why would Meltos give a mortal man the key to the treasure? It didn't make since because he couldn't simply rely on the fact that the Librarian would pass down the manuscripts father to son. There is always a black sheep in the family that could put the wealth in danger or there was the possibility of the line dying out."

"So what did he do?"

"Do you remember what I told you about them being scientifically more advanced than us?"

"Yes," she replied.

"It is my belief that he is using a Philosopher's Stone of some sort. Of course the Atlanteans would know an extraordinary amount of alchemy! How do you think that they got that much gold?" James said. "So, then that leads us to who are the known alchemists, or _successful_ alchemists in history?"

"Nicholas Flamel!" Lily said.

"Yes!" James said. Lily perked up in excitement. "But not quite."

"What do you mean by 'not quite'?" she asked exasperatedly.

"We thought of Flamel at first, as well," Remus said, picking the story up. "Then, we thought, why would someone as well known as Nicholas Flamel be the Librarian? Meltos wouldn't have wanted a man in the spotlight to be chosen. In addition, we realized Flamel was _after_ the perishing of Atlantis."

"So, then who is the Librarian?"

"We then realized, it doesn't matter who the Librarian is!" Remus said, laughing.

"Doesn't matter!?" she asked, frustrated with them all.

"No," James said, "Because the manuscripts were stolen around 360 BC and copied by Plato. Plato then returned them to the Librarian. He didn't know they were stolen until after they were published by Plato in his works called _Timaeus _and _Critias_."

"So… what happened to the Librarian?" Lily asked.

"No one knows," Paul said, finally speaking. He turned away from the fire and looked at Lily. "Some say that he died, realizing that he had failed his mission. Others say he simply disappeared into history. It is… our personal belief that he went back to the treasure, to spend his life maintaining the lost library."

"What about the book with the instructions? Where is that?" she asked.

"Oh!" Sirius said, jumping up and smiling. "It is right here," he said, picking up a book on Jack's desk.

"You mean it's been there the whole time?" she asked, gaping at him.

"Well, yes," Sirius replied, grinning stupidly.

"Then what was the point of the history lesson?" she asked, looking at the men, frustrated.

"Lily, it's important to understand everything about our –er, mission, for lack of a better term. We want to be prepared for everything and anything," James said, "In addition, you were the one to insist on being left out of nothing," he finished, smirking.

"Ha ha, very funny. So can we please get on with our business?"

"Yes, of course," Uncle Jack said, grabbing the book out of Sirius' hands. Jack also grabbed a pair of reading glasses and opened the book.

"Ah yes, here it is," he said, placing the book on the desk.

Everyone crowded around it to catch a glimpse of the diagram. It looked exactly like the Medallion around Lily's neck, except each circle, which represented a pearl, held a number in it.

"I can only assume that it goes in number order," Jack said. "Miss Evans, if you would, can we please see the Medallion?"

"Oh, yes," she said, taking it out from under her clothing. She looked at it for a second and then back to the diagram. "How do we know which way it goes?" she asked.

"Do you see the circular shape at the top there?" Jack said, pointing to the diagram.

"Yes."

"I can only assume that is where the loop for the chain is held. Now, may I please hold it in order to press in the code?" he asked.

"Of course," she replied.

For the next thirty minutes, Jack worked on pressing in the pearls. Remus and Sirius went back to their chairs and Paul started pacing. Lily and James were both watching Uncle Jack anxiously.

Everyone looked up as they heard a soft _click._

A/N: Sorry for the long wait! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and please review!


	26. Chapter 26

Everyone slowly walked over to Jack and Lily and peered at the Medallion. It had opened just like a locket.

Inside, there was a scrap of papyrus with nothing on the top. With shaky hands, Lily lifted it out of the locket and turned it over to reveal –

Nothing.

The group let out frustrated sigh. They had been so close! The group dispersed back to their previous positions. Sirius stayed, looking closely at the Medallion that was hanging loosely from Lily's neck still open.

"Wait a second," he whispered, grabbing the Medallion again. "Would you take a look at this?"

Sirius had gotten everyone's attention. Lily was now looking at the Medallion in his hands with wide eyes.

"My God, Sirius! You found it!" Remus said.

"I did, didn't I?" he said smugly. "Er –what exactly did I find?"

Lily looked back down at the Medallion. Etched into the smooth gold, were two numbers and letters: 84W,22N.

"You found the location of the treasure!" Uncle Jack exclaimed.

"Sirius, you're a genius!" James said, hugging him tightly.

"Well, you know, I don't have to try too hard. I guess it just comes naturally," Sirius said haughtily. Remus just hit him on the head.

"I am assuming," Uncle Jack said loudly, hoping to avoid an argument, "that these two numbers are for latitude and longitude. Quick, James, fetch me one of the maps over there. Not that one, boy, the one that shows the coast of Florida."

James handed him the map and Jack unrolled it and smoothed it out onto his desk. The parchment looked quite old.

"Do you see this map?" he asked, pointing to it. They all nodded.

"Now, do you know what this is a map of?"

"It's of the coast of Florida, the Spanish colony," Paul said, still staring at it.

"Yes, but not quite. Take notice that Florida is on the far left hand side of this particular map. Now, look at the numbers that connect lines along the map. These are the lines of latitude and longitude. Latitude going across the page and longitude going vertically," Jack said, motioning to the lines.

"Now, do you see the triangle created here by an extra set of lines? Can anyone tell me what that is?"

Paul gasped, "No, it wouldn't –you think –my God, this just made it more complicated."

"What is it, Paul?" Lily asked, worried at his response.

"It's the Bermuda Triangle."

"Damn," James muttered.

"I don't get it," Lily said, looking at all of the men, who currently looked at the map in slight horror. "What is so bad about the Bermuda Triangle?"

Jack walked over to the book case and pulled out an old leather-bound book. He opened it and flipped through the pages, until he landed on one with a map identical to the one currently on the desk.

"This here," he said, motioning to the book in his hands, "is a publication of Christopher Columbus' account of his first ever journey to America. As you know, Columbus is credited for finding America in the name of Spain. It was a perilous and terrifying journey as most of the men had no clue what they would encounter. You see, people then didn't know that the world was round, but they thought it was flat. So, there was a fear of falling over the edge of the Earth.

"On October 11, 1492, he wrote:

_The land was first seen by a sailor, although the Admiral at ten o'clock that evening standing on the quarter-deck saw a light, but so small a body that he could not affirm it to be land; calling to Pero __Gutiérrez, groom of the King's wardrobe, he told him he saw a light and bid him look that way, which he did and saw it; he did the same to Rodrigo Sánchez of Segovia, whom the King and Queen had sent with the squadron as comptroller, but he was unable to see it from his situation. The Admiral again perceived it once or twice, appearing like the light of a wax candle moving up and down, which some thought an indication of land. But the Admiral held it for certain that land was near…"_

"But that doesn't sound too bad," Lily said.

"However," there were numerous reports that he and his crew spotted 'strange dancing lights on the horizon', flames in the shy, and at one point, he wrote about bizarre compass bearings on the area," Jack said, closing the book and putting it away.

"I'm sure a scientific explanation can be found for such occurrences. Not to mention the men must have been delusional from poor food, stale water, and weeks at sea!" she said.

"That may be true, Miss Evans, but can you explain the odd disappearances of different ships sailing through there?"

"That's simple. Pirates."

"No, Pirates let some people live so they can pass on the tales of terror that they leave behind. In addition, pirates are highly superstitious," Jack said, smiling slightly.

"Fine," Lily humphed. "You all can think what you want, but I'm telling you, there is nothing to fret about. The Bermuda Triangle is a legend used to scare small children."

"Just like Atlantis was a legend?" James said, smirking at her.

"Well –that's different," she said, blushing slightly.

"I thought so," he replied, smirking. "Lily, we just want everyone to be cautious. There is nothing wrong with that now is there?"

"No, I guess not," she sighed.

"Good, now, I expect we'll be needing to order our provisions now that we have our heading," he said, smiling.

"Yes, I'll get on to that and place some orders into town. I'd advise everyone to start packing soon," Jack said, going back over to his desk.

"Oh, would you remember to order some better food? We found out Cook can actually cook, so I would appreciate it if you ordered some better ingredients for him," Lily said, smirking slightly.

Jack just laughed at that. "Oh yes, James I just remembered. I hope you don't mind, but one of your crew members asked to stay here. I think his name is Peter Petti-something. I'm sure you could use his help for gathering things."

"Yes, thank you, Uncle. He's always been eager to help me."

With that, the group made their way out the door to prepare for the upcoming journey.


	27. Chapter 27

For the next two weeks, an influx of provisions and supplies arrived at the docks. Lily happily noted that crates of better food were being delivered.

Sails were repaired, holes in the ship fixed, and tar was plastered in it to fill in cracks. The crew was working non-stop to make sure the ship was prepared for the long journey.

James and Sirius had gone in to town to get more swords, guns, and ammunition. Cannons had to be replaced and new cannon balls were needed as well.

Lily was delighted when James gave her a sword of her own. It was a steel beauty with a gold and pearl inlay in the handle. James had thought it was fitting since it matched the Medallion.

Lily was also given a pistol loaded with bullets. She took it with shaking hands, before placing it in her trunk under many chemises and stockings. While she was comfortable with a sword on her person, a gun made her extremely _un_comfortable.

On their last night at the plantation, a grand dinner was held for the crew. The men wore their best and tried using the best manners in hope to make their captain proud.

Rita helped dress Lily in the honey gold silk with a square neckline and ¾ sleeves that ruffled out at her elbows. The petticoat was also gold, but it had tiny gold silk fabric flowers sewn onto the bottom. Her shining red hair looked to be on fire and she wore only pearl earbobs. James was speechless once he saw her.

James led her into the dining room. The table had been elongated to fit the crew and succulent dishes were steaming in the middle.

Lily almost giggled at the men's manners. She had never seen them so docile! As she had walked in with James, they had all stood for her and bowed. James had to close her mouth for her.

He led her to a spot near the head of the table, beside his seat. She saw Sirius and Remus on the other side of James and Paul was on the other side of her.

A light chatter had descended upon the group, but Lily could feel some of the awkwardness of the crew pool out.

Everyone turned their heads towards Uncle Jack as he stood up, raising his glass and clearing his throat, ready to make a speech.

"I must say that this visit has been most enjoyable for me. It is always a pleasure to see you. Your upcoming journey will be perilous and long, no doubt, but the end result will be most rewarding. Men, you may want to quit, turn around and go home, but just think about the end, think about the gold." A resounding "aye!" went through the room.

"I'll drink to that!" Sirius said, raising his glass. All the other men followed suit and Lily raised hers as well.

"To gold!" James said, standing up.

"To gold!" They all drank and most of the men swallowed the rest of the rum in one gulp. Lily took a sip and sat the glass down, smiling at everyone. She felt truly at home –

BOOM!

"What the hell?" James muttered, standing up and walking to the window.

"Damn it!" he yelled, running out of the room. The men followed him, grabbing their swords and pistols that they had left outside of their room as they made their way after their captain.

Paul, Sirius, and Remus grabbed their swords as well. Jack stood and seized his fine steel sword. Tipping his hat to a bewildered Lily, he followed the other men.

Lily was confused beyond belief. What had the men going out of the house with a war call?

She walked over to the window and lifted the curtain to peer outside. What she saw astounded her.

In the far away distance, she saw lights coming from the town, but not the normal soft glow. Instead, the town was ablaze and the sound of cannons blasting through the trees and houses.

Frantically, Lily looked towards the road that led to town. She saw dirty looking men coming from town waving swords and torches. She could see James and the crew on the _Marauder _meet the men in a clash of steel on steel.

Fearing for James and Paul's safety, Lily ran to her room and grabbed her sword. She madly dug through her trunk to get the pistol. She slipped the pistol into her pocket and hurried out the door.

The night air was cool and would have been pleasant if not for the booming cannons and screaming people. Instead of the normal ocean breeze smell, there was an acrid, burning smell tingling her nose.

Lily quickly ran out of the gates to where she heard the sound of fighting. Praying that she wouldn't trip, Lily practically flew to the combating.

As soon as she saw the men, she took out her sword and swiped at the first man she could. The man, a dirty, portly man with a scraggily beard, leered at her and went to grab her breast.

With one quick swipe, Lily cut the man's left hand off. The man screamed in pain, clutching the bloody stub close to his body and fainting from pain and blood loss.

Turning her body away from the pitiful man, Lily engaged another man in a fight.

She worked her way slowly towards James, determined to help him. She was no longer afraid to kill these men as they were a danger to everyone's safety.

Finally, she was fighting beside James. Doing a double-take, his eyes widened in surprise as he looked at Lily wielding the sword. While he thought she was incredibly stupid for fighting with only a month's worth of training, he couldn't help but admire the way she looked.

Her hair had fallen out of her elaborate coif and was now streaming down her back in a mass of messy curls. The fire from the burning town was reflecting in her hair, making it seem as though it was on fire. There was a look of fierce determination on her face, and James could have sworn he fell in love with her all over again.

He was brought back to the current fight by a yelp. Shaken out of his reverie, he realized that the man currently fighting Lily had gotten a swipe at her arm. In a full-force yell of fury, he charged the man in the gut with his sword. The man collapsed in a bloody heap.

"James Potter, we meet again," an oily voice said behind him.

Grimacing, James turned to face it. The man had greasy black hair and a hook nose. His beetle black eyes had a steely glint to them and he was dressed in all black, adding to his macabre appearance.

"Severus Snape, it's really been too long," James said.

"Not long enough."

"How is your dear captain, Severus? Dead, isn't he? I didn't see you during his last fight. Did you chicken out and decide to save your scrawny arse?" James mocked.

"I'll have you know that I was on a special assignment for him. And he may be dead, but that doesn't mean people aren't still loyal to his memory!" Snape said, and then he lunged at James, sword ready to strike.

James parried, "Ah yes, tell me, did dear of Lucius Malfoy inherit the ship. I do know how much you wanted it."

Snape lunged again, in anger this time.

"Ah, I can see that you are still a little bitter about that. I saw the _Morsmordre_ make port here, are you now under Lucy's command?"

Snape didn't respond, but instead lunged again. James parried and they now fought in silence. In the back of James' mind, he knew he needed to end the fight soon to get Lily out of here. He could barely concentrate now that he was worried about both her and fighting and the same time.

The other men around him from the _Morsmordre_ were drawing back, realizing that they were outnumbered.

"So, Potter," Snape sneered, "Who is the woman over there fighting? She is clearly on your side. Such a shame, she's quite the beauty."

"Shut your mouth, _Snivellous_, don't you dare talk about her!" James said, giving a forceful lunge. Snape struggled to parry it, but gave a nasty grin in his direction.

"Oh, so you care about the girl? Then all the more pleasure I'll take when I bed her after I kill you."

James didn't answer, but slashed at his arm, creating a gash. Blood pooled out of it and spilled onto his black coat so that it was barely noticeable. Snape gripped his arm and looked at James with a look of pure anger.

"Damn you Potter," he growled, positioning his sword once again. As he was about to strike a blow, a bell from the distance stopped him and the rest of the crew. They started running back to their ship.

Snape looked at James with a look of utter loathing. "I'll get you next time, Potter," and with that, he turned and fled.

The men of James' crew let out a celebratory roar. James turned to see Remus and Sirius smiling with wide grins, joining in with the others. Uncle Jack was smiling satisfactorily and wiping his sword with a white lace handkerchief.

Finally, he looked to Lily. She was staring at her bloody sword in disbelief. Knowing that she was in shock about what she had done, James quickly made his way over to her.

She didn't even realize he was there until he had pulled her into an embrace. She dropped her sword with a clatter as it hit the ground and laid her head upon his chest. He kissed her on the head and hugged her tighter.

A few minutes later, James silently scooped her up into his arms and carried her back to the house. All the while, Lily never let go of James.

Once he was outside of Lily's room, he went to open the door.

"James," she said, "may I please stay in your room tonight? I think I'll have nightmares if I'm alone."

James just nodded. He turned to his door and, shifting Lily in his arms, he opened the door.

The room was a gold color with cherry wood furniture. The king sized bed was on the wall opposite of the door and between two windows with gold curtains. The bed spread was a burgundy and gold floral pattern.

James set Lily down onto her feet and looked at her. Her arms were still wrapped around his neck loosely.

Stepping out of her embrace, he quickly lighted the candles on his bedside table and his desk. Then, he swiftly made his way back to her and wrapped his arms around his waist.

"Oh, James, I was so scared for you," she whispered, laying her head upon his chest.

"Lily, do you know how much you frightened me out there tonight?" he whispered back. "I was so damn scared you were going to get killed,"

"I was fine, James," she said, "not to mention it was an experience I needed. We don't know what kind of trouble we'll be expecting on our trip."

"God, you're right, love, but that doesn't mean I have to like it."

Running his hands up and down her arms, he stopped when he heard her hiss in pain.

"Lily! Why didn't you tell me you got hurt?! We need to get you to a doctor and –"

"James," she said, interrupting him, "I'm fine, all I need it a little cleaning and a dressing. I'm not leaving you tonight."

He huffed in annoyance before getting up and going to the wash basin and carrying it and a spare cloth to the bed.

"Now, sit," he directed, pointing to the bed. She rolled her eyes and sat down.

He examined the wound before looking up at her hesitantly. "Um, Lily, you'll need to take your dress off before I can dress the wound."

Lily gulped and nodded. She unbuttoned the stomacher and slipped off the dress. Then, she took the petticoat and hoops off as well.

"You didn't need to take everything off," he said, swallowing visibly.

"I thought I many as well get comfortable," she said, smiling slightly.

James nodded absentmindedly, his eyes focused on her breasts that had been pushed up by the stays.

"Uh, James, the wound?" Lily said, bringing his attention back to her arm.

"Oh, yes, you're right," he said.

Carefully, he took her arm in his hands and picked up a soft towel and dipped it in the water.

All that could be heard was the sound of water sloshing in the water basin as he cleansed her wound. Lily had silent tears streaming down her face.

Once he was done cleaning it, he gently tied the bandage around it. He kissed her shoulder as he finished and smiled at her.

"Thank you," she whispered, gazing into his hazel eyes.

"You are welcome, my love," he replied, kissing away her tears, and then capturing her lips in a searing kiss. She responded eagerly as his tongue swept upon her lower lip and she opened her mouth allowing his access. They continued kissing until James had gently pushed her into a laying position on the bed with him hovering over her.

They broke apart, breathing heavily. Lily flipped over onto her stomach and started to struggle with her lacings. James understood and helped her shimmy out of her stays.

As soon as she was out of the confinement, she gave him a passionate kiss, pushing off his coat. James quickly unbuttoned his vest and shirt and Lily pushed them both off his shoulders.

James looked down at her and held back a moan of longing as he looked upon her delectable body. The candlelight flickering off her body and hair only enhanced her beauty. Her emerald green eyes were clouded with passion and her lips were swollen from kissing.

Lily looked up at him and softly whispered, "I love you."

He responded, "I love you, too."

Then, she spoke in a whisper, "Make love to me, James."

And he was only happy to oblige.

A/N: I am so sorry for the long wait, but it's just been a crazy week with school work and swim stuff. I also wanted to give credit for the information on the Bermuda Triangle to Wikipedia. Please review and I hope you enjoyed!


	28. Chapter 28

James woke up the next morning feeling peaceful. Opening his eyes, he found the reason for his contentedness. Lily Evans, love of his life, was lying in his arms, still sleeping serenely.

He smiled as he thought about last night. It had been the best night of his life and more than he had ever expected. She was absolutely perfect, inside and out, and now he knew for sure.

Last night was when he had realized he couldn't live without the woman currently in his arms. He remembered that she had told him she wasn't ready for marriage, but, by God, he hoped she'd be ready soon! He didn't know how long he could go with making her his wife. Or a repeat of last night.

He sighed and looked back down at his sleeping flower. Soon they would be leaving and she would be in immense danger. As much as he wanted to prevent her from coming, he knew he couldn't. For one, she was needed because of the Medallion, secondly, she would absolutely maul him if he left her, and lastly, he couldn't leave her because he didn't think he could bear to not see her face for months.

James looked at Lily as she stirred in his arms and opened her emerald eyes. She smiled as she blinked blearily at him. Lily looked down at herself and a blush spread across her body. James grinned at this.

"Good morning, love. You are looking gorgeous this morning."

If possible, Lily's blush deepened. "So, today's the day, isn't it?"

"Yes," he breathed. "As much as I don't want you out of my arms, you need to go and get ready for the day and make sure everything is packed. Also, I don't think your brother would be happy to find you here in such a state of undress," he said, smirking.

Lily groaned "Sod Paul, he's just being annoyingly protective and ignorant. He doesn't understand that I'm a grown woman and can make my own decisions."

"Well, _I_ know that you're a grown woman," he said, grinning. Lily smacked his arm.

"Don't you dare say anything to him!" she said, eyes wide. "You are right; we don't need him to know what happened last night." She sighed and got out of bed, grabbing his white shirt from the floor and slipping it on. James wanted to groan as he saw her body hidden away from his view.

"I love you," he said, sitting up and kissing her forehead.

She smiled, "I love you, too." With that, Lily opened the door and slipped out of the room.

James sighed as he watched her leave. He got up, stretched and went to dress for the day. He put on brown breeches and a blue vest, white shirt, and some boots.

Once he was done dressing, James headed out of the room, intending to talk to his Uncle.

James found him in the study, reviewing some maps and packing them in trunks as well as some books. He stopped as he spotted James standing in the doorway. Jack smiled and beckoned him in.

"Hello, James. I was just packing some items that I thought you might need for the trip. I can't say I'm not jealous of your adventure. If I was only younger…"

"Uncle, you've had your fair share of adventures. It's my turn now."

Uncle Jack just smiled, "So, I assume you came in here for something, unless you are just here to rub it in my face that you get to go out traipsing around the seven seas whilst I'm stuck here being an old geezer."

James laughed, "I think it's impossible for you to ever be an 'old geezer'. No, I actually wanted to talk to you about something."

"Well, what is it?"

"I was –well, I know you have it, so –well –I was wondering if you would give it to me."

"Give what to you?" he asked, confused.

"My mother's ring."

Jack was silent and studied James carefully before he answered.

"Explain to me why I should."

James hurried to give him an explanation. "I know I have only known her for a couple of months, but it seems like a lifetime. She isn't afraid to fight with me, disagree with me, and most importantly, love me. I feel as though she's my other half and I know I couldn't live life without her. I want to protect her, cherish her, and love her with my whole being," James finished, taking a deep breath in anticipation for Jack's response.

Uncle Jack was silent for a while until he broke out into a large grin. He clapped James on the back and laughed.

"Oh, Jamie, you should have seen your face! I just had to make sure that you truly love Miss Evans. I wasn't about to give my niece's ring to some girl who might just be a passing fancy," Jack said seriously.

"So, you really will give it to me?"

"Yes, I will," Uncle Jack said, walking over to a cabinet. He took a key from a chain around his neck and unlocked the cabinet, producing a little cherry wood box with intricate ivy carvings.

"You take care of that and the girl, you hear? Your mother was a special woman, as is Miss Evans. I can't think of anyone more fitting to wear that ring."

James smiled and looked down at the box. "I think they would have liked her," he said quietly.

"No, I _know _they would have _loved _her. They would have been proud of you James, as am I," Jack said, hugging him.

James hugged him back, "Thank you, Uncle, and a thousand times thank you!"

"Now –get on! You have a ship to catch! And a maiden on it!"

James laughed and left the office, saying goodbye to his dear old uncle.

Finally, the ship was packed and the crew was ready to set sail. James was standing on the top deck, looking down at his scurrying crew. Lily had gone to her cabin to set up and make it more livable.

The crew untied the ropes and unfurled the sails, pushing off from the dock.

James looked towards his uncle and some of the slaves from the house who had come to wish them a farewell. He smiled and waved at his Uncle who waved back.

The wind picked up and filled the sails. They started moving and picking up speed as James ordered the crew to tighten the sails. Remus was steering while Sirius was helping with the sails. James saw Paul standing near the railing, looking out at the ocean.

James was about to find Lily when Paul called out to him.

"I need to speak with you, James," Paul said, staring him in the eyes.

James gulped. He noticed that Paul had the same eyes as Lily. Uh-Oh. He really, really hoped Paul wanted to talk about the Medallion and not –

"I want to talk to you about Lily."

Damn.

"What is it, Paul?"

"Listen, I want to know what your intentions are. I don't like you playing around with her heart when I know you will just leave her after you've had your way with her," Paul said.

"That's not true," James growled, stepping closer to the angry brother. "I love Lily deeply, and nothing will ever change that."

"Please, Potter. I know you and your type. You just prey on innocent girls, telling them anything to get them in your bed. Then, once they've sufficiently pleased you, you leave them heartbroken and alone, possible with a child on the way," James sneered.

"I don't know what your problem is," James said coldly, "but I could never do that, to Lily or any other woman, especially Lily, though. If you must know, I intend to ask Lily for her hand in marriage."

"I don't believe you. You are just saying that. Tell me you haven't thought about her. Tell me you haven't touched her, or kissed her. Tell me nothing inappropriate has happened." James was silent.

"Ah, you can't. You want to know why? I know what happened last night."

"What do you mean?" James asked, his voice steely.

"I went to Lily's bedchamber last night to make sure that she was alright after the events that had taken place. She wasn't in her room. I was about to go downstairs, when to my surprise, I heard voices coming from _your_ room. God, it sounded like animals in there!" he mocked.

"So, now thanks to you, my sister is tainted and can no longer have any hopeful prospects for a proper marriage. Face it, James; she's spoiled now, absolutely ruined."

James was now furious. Paul could say anything about him, but James wouldn't tolerate one single word against his Lily.

So James did the only thing he could do. He punched Paul in the jaw.

"Listen clearly, _Evans_," James growled, taking a hold of Paul's collar, "I love Lily with all my heart. She is absolutely perfect in every way. I _know_ that I'm going to marry her. Now, I'm going to advise you to not speak to Lily unless you can only say anything cordial. In addition, we will act courteous at all time. As soon as this treasure is found, you won't have to talk to me ever again."

James dropped Paul to the ground, glared at him one last time and stormed to his cabin.


	29. Chapter 29

A month had passed since they had started their journey. There was a sense of excitement and nervousness from the crew as they approached the Bermuda Triangle.

Sirius' antics were relaxing the crew and James, Lily noted, had taken to brooding in his cabin when he wasn't checking on the crew or giving Lily sword lessons.

Lily also noticed that her brother had been avoiding James and her. Multiple times she had tried to engage him in a conversation, but he only answered in one-worded responses and then he'd quickly excuse himself. She wondered if he had found out about _that_ night.

Lily sighed. Only when she was alone at night in the dark and she was in bed, did she think about that most perfect night. James had been so caring and sweet and she had been filled with love only for him.

Sadly, they hadn't had another night like it. There was always people constantly moving about the ship and there was too much of a danger of someone walking in on them. She mostly feared Paul or Sirius walking in. She knew she would never hear the end of it.

So, instead, the couple had to be satisfied with soft, loving kisses and hand holding. While it was nice, she couldn't help but feel frustrated and she wanted more. She knew James felt the same.

As the month passed, though, she knew that she couldn't live without this man. Lily sincerely wanted to marry him and become Mrs. Potter, wife to Captain Potter, pirate extraordinaire.

Lily giggled at that. Never in her wildest dreams in her wildest dreams had she ever imagined wanting to marry a pirate. Now, though, she knew that she would only love James and she knew that he loved her back. If only she could convince Paul of it.

Lily sighed and looked into the mirror. She had decided to wear a light green cotton dress with a pink floral print. She had placed her hair in a white cap and put on a white apron and neckerchief.

Nodding in satisfaction, Lily walked out of her cabin in search of James. She looked in his captain's quarters and the kitchen and didn't find him. Walking out onto the deck, she found the messy haired pirate at the wheel, surveying the horizon.

Lily knew that he was worried. Nights when they were alone on deck, they would talk. He expressed his worries about the Bermuda Triangle and the possible problems that could occur. He didn't want to lead his crew into danger and Lily admired him for it.

Lily herself didn't believe in the myths of the Bermuda Triangle. The pirates were just being old superstitious coots. They had even told her it was bad luck to have a woman on board!

"Bad luck," she snorted. It was more like it would be unlucky if their wives found out about the other lovers in numerous ports around the world. Very convenient, that superstition was.

However, she tried to be understanding to James' fear of the Bermuda Triangle. She understood that he had been raised hearing about the Triangle, so it made since that he should worry the way he was.

As Lily came to be a couple of steps away from him, she couldn't help but smile. James did that to her.

As he saw her coming towards him, Lily noted the smile that lit across his face as well.

"So, Lily-love, have you finally decided to grace us with your presence?" he teased.

"Well, you all need something nice to look at. We can't have the crew staring at your mug all day. We can't have their spirits dampened, now we can?" she replied.

"I'll have you know, love, that everyone on this ship knows how handsome I am!" he said, nose in the air.

"Are you saying that your crew prefers to look at you more than me?" she asked, eyes twinkling.

"Why, yes, I –hey! You set me up for that!" he exclaimed.

"I can't help it if your crew prefers the company of men, James!"

"Why you little –" he said, striding over to her. He grabbed her from behind and threw her over his shoulder.

"What are you doing!?" she screeched.

"Well, I can't have my crew being teased by you, so I simply must go overboard," he said, walking over to the side.

"James Harold Potter! Don't you dare throw me in that water. You will regret it dearly!"

"Is that so, Miss Evans?" he said, holding her over the water.

"You think long and hard about what you want and enjoy before you throw me into that water," she said, squinting her eyes.

James gulped and brought her back onto the deck. "Good boy," she said, giving him a pat on the head and a peck on the lips. He gave her a goofy grin and placed her back onto her feet.

"So, how much longer until we reach the Triangle?" she asked.

The furrow in his brow that had been erased during their exchange had been replaced once more at the reminder of the Bermuda Triangle.

He sighed and looked out to the horizon. "We will reach it at dusk," he said.

"James," she whispered, placing a comforting hand on his arm, "It will be fine. Nothing bad is going to happen to us."

"I'd like to believe that, Lily, but I can't help but feel as though something will go wrong."

It was Lily's turn to sigh. "James, if something does go wrong, we will get through it. Your crew is strong, the ship is sturdy, and the captain is the best in the world," she said, smiling softly up at him.

He smiled back down at her and wrapped her into an embrace. He kissed her forehead softly and whispered, "Thank you, my love."

A/N: I am so sorry that it has been a long update. I know this is sort of short, but I needed to get something out! The next chapter is almost done, so I expect it will be out soon…hopefully! Anyways, thanks for all the reviews and please keep them coming, they really are encouraging.


	30. Chapter 30

Lily had just finished up an evening sword lesson and she was walking back to her cabin to put her sword away.

James had fought hard toady and had included Sirius in her training. She could now fight two people at once, though only for a little while before she was bested and thrown to the ground.

Sirius had been teasing her about how she could win if she used the same maneuver she had used against him. Lily would just glare at him and get back up in a fighting stance, ready to start again.

Needless to say, Lily was extremely sore and sweaty. What she really could use was a warm bath. Sadly, luxuries like that were impossible to get at sea.

Instead, Lily had to settle with a sponge bath with sea water. Lily put on a clean pair of breeches and a linen shirt. She re-braided her wet hair and walked out of her cabin.

As she stepped out onto the deck, Lily couldn't help but admire the setting sun. The red, orange, and gold hues sparkled and reflected over the water, making an absolutely stunning picture.

After looking at the horizon, Lily turned her attention to the crew. She noticed that they seemed unnaturally tense and would continuously stop working to glance at the oncoming horizon.

Lily found James up on the top deck doing the same thing. Her brow furrowed in confusion. Why was everyone acting so oddly?

She walked over to James and lightly tapped him on the shoulder. He jumped and turned around, clearly startled.

"Jesus, Lily! Don't scare a man like that!"

Lily looked up at him worriedly. "James, are you alright? What is the matter?"

"We are in the Bermuda Triangle now," he said, then looked at her intensely. "Lily, promise me that you will stay close to me now."

"Why? I mean, it's not like I can go that far, James. I do hope that you remember that we are on a ship. It's not really possible for me to go that far," she said, exasperated.

"I know, love, but you know what I mean. I'm not taking any chances."

"CAPTAIN!"

They both raised their heads as they heard a cry of alarm come out of the watch nest.

"Something on the horizon, Captain!" Their eyes immediately darted to where the man was pointing.

Lily gasped. Far off in the distance there was multi-colored lights dancing over the sea. She had never seen anything like it.

The other watchman in the nest turned around to look at the other side.

"Captain!" he yelled. "There's a storm coming up from the port side!"

"Damn," James cursed, running to the other side of the ship.

Off on the horizon, Lily could see massive storm clouds gathering. The storm was approaching at an extremely fast speed.

"EVERYONE ON DECK!" James yelled. Bells began to ring as the pirates flooded out onto the deck.

"Lads, there's a storm coming. It's going to take all of our strength and courage to face it. I know we have a strong ship, but what about my crew? Is my crew prepared to look death in the eye?!" James yelled, trying to talk over the strengthening winds.

A resounding call of "AYE!" was heard throughout the ship.

"Just think of the stories we'll be able to tell at port to woo the ladies," Sirius called, grinning. Lily rolled her eyes.

"Now, men, we need people tying down cargo. Smythe, Carton, Lewis, and Balsy, get down below and start tying. You others, man your positions!" James said, heading towards the steering wheel. Lily followed after him, determined to help him with anything.

James' eyes held a determined glint as he steered the ship towards the storm.

A wave of panic flowed over Lily. What on Earth was he doing? The storm could be avoided if they didn't head straight into it!

"James, where the hell do you think you are steering this ship?! Are you barking mad?"

"This is the safest option," he said, not looking at her.

"SAFEST!?" she shrieked.

"Listen, it's better to face it head on and be prepared than to have it creep up on us," he said, finally turning to look at her. "You should head back to your cabin. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"And let you risk your life out here and me never see you again because you just happened to be swept overboard?! Not bloody likely!"

"Lily…" he pleaded.

"No James. If you go in, I'm jumping in after you. I know how to swim quite well, thank you very much. Plus, if you go in, then the rest of the crew will be too busy to save you. Someone's got to save your scrawny arse," she said, hand on her hips.

James stared at her in the eye for a while, then burst out laughing, pulling her into an embrace. "Fine, you can stay. Just make sure you stay close and hold on, do you understand?"

Lily nodded and James went to grab the wheel again.

The winds were picking up and howling now. Dark clouds were covering the entire sky and thunder could be heard rumbling in the distance. A light drizzle of rain was falling onto the deck. The waves were becoming more turbulent.

The men were now scrambling on the deck trying to secure everything. James had commanded the sails to be loosened.

A flash of lightning was seen staggering across the sky and a loud clap of thunder followed. Lily had to suppress the urge to scream.

Rain was now pouring in buckets and Lily was soaked to the bone as she gripped onto the railing. The lightning was now flashing every thirty seconds.

Waves were crashing against the ship, tossing it around. Lily could barely hold on. The wind had taken her hair out of her braid was now thrashing it around her face. The wind was pelting rain into her body, making it fell as if needles were being thrown instead of water.

Through the wind and rain, Lily could barely see James, who was fighting with the wheel. Seeing that he was in trouble, Lily struggled to pull herself against the wind over to James.

She finally grasped the wheel and helped him get the wheel steady. James looked at her with gratitude. He then looked up at the straining sail that had slight tears where the ropes were holding them.

"LET GO OF THE SAILS!" James screamed, trying to get his voice heard over the roar of the storm.

It took two more tries until Remus looked to him and realized what the Captain was ordering. Immediately, the men set to untying ropes and allowing the sails to ripple fiercely in the wind.

Lily glanced behind her, and in a flash of lightning, she could have sworn that a ship had appeared behind them. The lightning flashed again and it was gone.

She turned to look forward and, squinting through the rain, Lily's eyes widened in horror. About 200 yards ahead the water was starting to churn in a circle.

Lily started to scream to James about the oncoming maelstrom. Her voice was carried away in the winds and it wasn't until she started hitting him that he looked at her with an inquisitive glance.

"MAELSTROM!" she screamed.

"WHAT?" he asked, putting a hand to his ear.

"MAELSTROM!"

"LILY, I CAN'T HEAR YOU! CAN THIS WAIT?"

"NO, YOU IDIOT! I SAID, MAELSTROM!" Lily screamed, this time pointing to the dangerous waters.

James' eyes widened as he looked to where her arm was motioning towards.

"DAMN IT!" he yelled, frantically trying to turn the ship.

The waters were too strong and the sails weren't up to turn the boat.

"HOIST THE SAILS!" he screamed.

The men, noticing the oncoming maelstrom, frantically started pulling ropes and trying to catch a good wind.

James was fighting against the wheel. Lily could see his muscles straining through his white shirt. She grabbed the wheel in an effort to help him.

The maelstrom was getting closer and closer. The bow of the ship was tipping dangerously into the swirling waters.

James, sensing her distress, put him her in between his arms, capturing her against the wheel.

"I love you, Lily," he whispered in her ear so, somehow, she could hear it.

Lily turned to look at him over her shoulder and kissed him, whispering, "I love you," back.

As James looked into the maelstrom, half of his ship in it, he held a determined glint in his eyes. Swallowing, he looked down at Lily once more.

"Lily Evans, if we make it out of this storm, will you do me the greatest honor and marry me? I know you don't want to rush into anything, but if we make it through this, I don't want another chance to lose you before you become Mrs. Potter. Hell, if we make it through this, we can most definitely survive marriage!" James said.

Lily had tears streaming down her face, though it was hard to tell because of the rain. She smiled, "Yes, James. I want to marry you!"

James, his eyes lighting up, kissed her deeply and then focused all of his attention on the ship.

He started barking out orders and slowly steering the ship out of the maelstrom. The ship was fully in it now and they were circling in the water.

James fought the wheel to turn them towards the top. The bow was now facing upwards and the ship was on a steep angle. The crew was desperately holding on to ropes and railing.

Slowly, but surely, the wind started filling the sails to help them out. The bow was fully out of the maelstrom and the middle was surfacing, too.

Finally, the stern was out and the ship was sailing away from the turning waters.

Lily turned to James in disbelief. He just grinned and pulled her into him tight. The pair started laughing hysterically, tears falling down their face.

Lily's eyes were closed, reveling in her _fiancé's_ arms. Oh God, how good it was to say that!

Opening her eyes, Lily's mouth dropped in amazement. The sky was dark and clear. The stars were glittering across the midnight horizon. There was not a cloud in sight and a light breeze was filling the sails.

She stepped out of James' embrace and looked around in amazement. She saw the rest of the crew doing the same.

The only clue of what the ship had endured was the all around sodden look, the broken railings, and some missing planks of wood.

Lily's ears were ringing from the silence. After the howling winds and thunder, the silence was absolutely deafening.

"What the bloody hell just happened back there?" she heard Sirius say. She almost laughed out loud as she looked at the scruffy pirate. He was soaked to the bone and seaweed had found his way into his hair. He looked like a wet dog.

Paul and Remus looked to be in shock as well as soaked. She breathed a sigh of relief as she realized that her brother had made it. She may have been mad at him, but she didn't want him dead so soon after she had found him again.

She finally turned to James. He was grinning stupidly at her.

"What are you smiling at?" she asked.

"Well," he started, "I distinctly remember asking you a certain question while we were within the grasp of Death's hands. I also remember hearing a 'yes' to said question."

Lily smiled. "I guess I did, Captain Potter. Now, what are you going to do about it?"

James turned to his crew. "Mates, we're heading to the closest port. I'm taking myself a bride!" he said, encircling an arm around Lily's waist.

Lily blushed and avoided looking towards Paul. The crew whistled and laughed their approval.

"Going to make an honest woman out of her, ey, Jamie?" Sirius yelled.

Lily's blushed deepened and her mouth dropped in shock. What possessed Sirius to say that in front of the entire crew?! James just glared at him.

"Well, I for one," Remus said, stepping closer to the couple, "must offer my sincerest congratulations. In addition, I think a 'finally' is in order!" The crew roared in laughter.

Lily turned to Paul in hopes of hearing some sort of congratulations. Her hopes were dashed when she saw his back to her, walking back to his cabin.

A/N: Hey all! I updated quickly and gave a longer chapter! Anyways, thanks for all the reviews and keep them coming!


	31. Chapter 31

Lily was walking over to Paul's quarters. It had been a week since the storm and her engagement.

If Paul had been avoiding her before, he wasn't even acknowledging her now. She knew Paul didn't like James as her prospective husband, but now he was just being rude.

Lily was angry, no, she was beyond angry. She was furious. What right did Paul have to be ignoring her after she had faked his death and caused heartbreak in her family?! So Lily was now storming to her brother's cabin in hopes to knock some since into the man.

The crew was purposefully staying out of her way and even Sirius knew not to say a word to her in fear of her sword, which she was currently grasping.

James himself was eyeing the sword warily and sincerely hoped that wouldn't be murder on his ship. He would hate to have to keel haul his own fiancée.

So, with sword in hand and fury across her face, Lily kicked open the door.

It opened with a bang and Paul looked up startled from his reading. He visibly gulped.

"PAUL ALEXANDER EVANS! I don't know what your issue it, but I intend to find out!" she said, her sword poised at his neck.

"Lily, I don't know what you're –"

"You know damn well what I'm talking about," she said, her voice deadly. "You have been purposefully avoiding me since we left Jamaica. I know you have _issues_ with my fiancé, but you need to realize that I am going to marry him."

"He's not going to take care of you! He's a bloody pirate, Lily. I'm sure he has a wife in just about every port and you will just be dumped off somewhere, alone and with a child," Paul sneered.

"You take that back Paul Alexander. You know damn well that isn't true. James Potter in an honorable man who cares deeply for me. If you'd just open your bloody eyes, you'd realize that. I love him, Paul," she said softly.

Paul sighed, "Oh, Lily-Lou. I know you do. I just don't want you to get hurt. I guess I can see that he loves you, but I don't want to lose you. Lily, we've had so little time together. I fear that you'll leave and just forget about your poor big brother."

"Paul, I won't forget about you," she said gently. "You're my brother. You were the one who raised me and because of that you will always leave a special place in my heart."

Paul had tears coming down his face. Lily had dropped her sword and tears were streaming down her face as well.

He stood up and pulled her into an embrace. "I'm so sorry, Lily-Lou. I just thought I was doing what was right for you. I suppose only _you_ know what is right for you," he said, kissing her hair.

"Paul, will you give me away? You know, at the wedding?" she asked hesitantly.

"Of, of course Lou. It would be my greatest honor as your big brother."

Lily stepped back and gave him a huge smile. Her emerald eyes were gleaming in happiness.

"Oh thank you, Paul! Thank you so much! You don't know how much this means to me!" she said, practically bouncing in joy.

"You're quite welcome, sister," he said, smiling.

She smiled again and kissed his cheek, running out of the room in jubilance after picking up her sword.

Lily ran over to James, who was currently looking over some maps on the deck with Sirius and Remus.

"James, James!" she called, running over to him. Sirius and Remus, spotting the sword, quickly backed away. James gulped, wondering what he had done wrong.

"Yes, love," he called hesitantly.

"Paul said he'd give me away!" she said, beaming.

James smiled back and gave a mental sigh of relief. Lily, mad and with a sword, was a very scary situation that he never wanted to encounter.

"That's wonderful, love," he said. "So, is he alright now? You know, with us?"

"Oh, yes! He finally accepts our engagement," she said happily, throwing herself into his arms.

"Well, that's good, because I was going to marry you no matter what he said. It just makes things easier now that he approves," he said, joking.

Lily just beamed. "When will we be landing, James?" she asked.

"The map says that we are about 20 miles off from land, so we should arrive tomorrow."

"Where do you want to get married?" she inquired. "I mean, I'm fine anywhere, but we need to find a minister."

"Hmmm," he said, thinking. "How about right here, on my ship?"

Lily smiled, "That would be lovely."

The pair walked over to the railing. James put his hands on both sides of her on the railing as she leaned into his chest. For a while, they were content to look at the setting sun.

Sure, over the week odd occurrences had happed. Distant wailing and haunting singing could be heard at night. Some of the men had gotten a mysterious illness that had them sick to their stomach every other hour.

However, no more storms had occurred, which Lily was extremely grateful for. After the storm, Lily couldn't help but agree that the Bermuda Triangle was a discomforting and dangerous place to be, but she would never tell James that. She didn't think her pride could take it.

Then, Lily remembered something. "Um, James," she said, her face turning red, "er –what about… after the wedding?"

"What do you mean 'after the wedding'?" he asked, looking confused.

"Well –er –where will be, um, 'staying'?"

"Of course we'll be staying –oh! You mean _staying_," he said, eyes widening at what she implied.

"Well, we could stay in my quarters. I'd be happy to kick everyone off the sip. In fact, I have a feeling that most of them will _want_ to get off that night," he said.

"Oh, I don't want to turn anyone out," she said.

"We won't be. It is my ship, after all. In addition, I'm sure that they will be having their own 'fun' that night," he said, laughing slightly.

"Oh," she replied, blushing. "Well then, I guess that will be fine then."

"We will be more than fine," he said huskily, kissing her neck. Lily had to bite back a moan as he continued kissing her neck and trailing lower and lower –

"Oy, Captain! Don't go deflowering the flower!" Sirius yelled.

James groaned and Lily blushed, giggling slightly.

"Damn it, Sirius! Did you really have to scream it across the ship?" James asked.

"Of course! We need to keep her all flowery; after all, her name is a flower. Plus it's a lot of fun to watch Paulie-boy over there get all worked up."

James groaned again. "Sirius, get over here!"

Sirius bounced over to where Lily and James were standing, a goofy grin on his face.

"You rang oh-Captain-of-mine?"

"I really don't appreciate you saying anything to Paul making it seem as though my intentions are less than honorable. We have just fixed everything and we don't need you to make anything worse! Do you understand?" James hissed.

Sirius nodded, slightly scared of his best mate. "I'm sorry, James. I won't say anything again."

James just nodded, then he started to smirk, "Besides, if you ever do decide to say anything like that again, I'll just sic Lily on you!"

Sirius visibly paled, "Oh great Captain," he said, falling to his knees, "I shall never say anything about your sacred flower ever again!"

James was fighting to keep a straight face and Lily was already laughing openly.

"You just remember that, Mr. Black. You know that Lily had improved greatly in her sword skills. I can promise you that her fight will not be as… entertaining to you as before."

Lily's mouth dropped and she hit James in the arm. Sirius doubled up in laughter.

"James Potter!" she said, appalled. "You'd do well to remember what is coming up tomorrow! It will be a lonely wedding night for you if you keep this up. Or," she said slyly, "You could spend it with Sirius over here. I do remember you saying how he thought you were handsome…"

"You said WHAT!?" Sirius shrieked. "Mate, I don't swing that way…" Sirius was now slowly backing away.

"Lily Evans-soon-to-be-Potter!" James called as she ran away from him, laughing. "You know I said no such thing!"

Lily only laughed and ran back to her cabin so she could pack for tomorrow.

A/N:Yes! I am just spitting these chapters out! Anyways, hope you enjoyed and please, please, please review! They really do help to give encouragement and guidance where it is needed. I also wanted to let you all know that I won't be able to update for a while, but I will still be writing so that means there will be a whole lot of chapters when I do!


	32. Chapter 32

Around noon, the _Marauder_ landed in a small town. There was a very small population with more natives than Europeans. It was a quaint village and they had quickly pointed out where the local church was so James could get a minister.

Lily was currently in her cabin for the last time. She hadn't known what she was going to wear for her wedding since it was such short notice.

She had been desperately shifting through her trunk when she heard a knock on the door. Lily walked over to the door and opened it with an inquisitive glance. James stood outside the door with his hands behind his back.

"James!" she cried, turning her back to him, "You know it's unlucky for the groom to see the bride before the wedding!"

"Yes, Lily-love, I know that," he said, laughing at her antics. "However, I dearly wanted to give you something."

"Oh! What is it?" she asked, her back still facing him.

James stepped closer and encircled his arms around his waist. He nuzzled his face into her neck and gave her neck a kiss. He smiled as she felt a shiver of pleasure.

"Well, you see, my bride has yet to get herself an engagement ring and I simply could not allow that! So, my Lily, I have brought you a gift. Close your eyes," he said softly.

She closed them and felt something cool slip onto her left ring finger. James kissed her ear and whispered, "Open them."

Lily lifted her eyes and gazed upon her finger. A gold ring with an elegant princess cut diamond. Two small rubies sat beside it. Lily gasped. It was gorgeous.

"Oh, James," she said softly, "it's beautiful. When did you have time to get it?"

"It was my mother's," he said. "My father saved up all of his money once he had a steady job. My mother loved this ring dearly and I hope you will, too."

"Oh, James! If course I will! And it's not because of how stunning it is, but because it's from you. That just makes the ring worth so much more."

James smiled into her neck and gave her a soft kiss there.

"Well," he said, "I must let by blushing bride get ready!" Lily heard his footsteps walk to the door, the pause.

"Oh, I forgot to mention it. If you take out everything from the green trunk, there is a latch that will open to a secret compartment. In it, I think you will find the perfect dress," and with that, she heard him walk away.

She turned and saw that the door was closed. She looked down at her ring once more and smiled. She really was marrying the best man in the world.

Lily then remembered the comment about a dress. She turned to look at her numerous trunks. Uncle Jack had ordered several trunks for her in order to put all of her dresses and essential items in. There was a blue one for her linens and underclothes, a burgundy one for more and simple dresses, including breeches, and then a green trunk for the more delicate dresses she had packed.

For the past hour or so, Lily had been sifting through that trunk in hopes of finding the perfect dress. She stood in front of the mirror trying each and every one on, finding something wrong with it every time.

She sincerely hoped that the hidden dress would be the one.

For what must have been the hundredth time, Lily opened the green trunk and started taking all of the clothing out of it.

Once the trunk was empty, she looked to find a leather string in the corner. Lily grasped it and pulled, prying the board up from the trunk.

Beneath it, Lily gasped, was the most beautiful dress she had ever seen. The dress was a soft ivory silk. The stomacher was embroidered with pearls and swirls of gold silk thread. The dress opened in a V at the skirt to reveal a gold petticoat that was tiered at the bottom. The ¾ sleeves had gold lining that ruffled out.

Lily lifted the dress out carefully and placed in on her bunk. She peered back into the trunk and saw a pair of gold heels with creamy pearl embroidery.

Beside the shoes, was a sheer cream veil that would easily fit under her pile of curls that her hair had been artfully arranged in.

Lily walked to her wash basin and sponged off with some perfumed water. The men had spoiled her and ran into town to bring her some lily perfume. She smiled as she thought of the kindness of the crew. They really had warmed up to her.

After she patted herself dry, Lily slipped on a bright white chemise that had a bit of cream lace around the neckline that would peep out of the dress.

She pulled the cream silk stockings on and tied them off with gold garters. Then she slipped a pair of stays that, thankfully, tied up in the front. The hoops were tied on next. Lily shimmied into the gold petticoat that fell elegantly and looked like a waterfall over the hoops. She pulled the dress on a slipped her heels onto her feet and walked over to the mirror.

She fastened on the pearl earbobs and for a final affect, Lily put on the emerald necklace James had given her the night of the ball. She lightly powdered her nose and pinched her cheeks to get a light blush.

Lily looked into the mirror again and smiled in satisfaction. She truly felt beautiful.

A knock came on the door and Lily walked over to it.

"Who is it?" she asked, not taking any chanced for letting James see her before the ceremony.

"It's me, Paul," she heard through the door. Lily beamed and opened the door.

Her brother stood there in a gold vest with an emerald green jacket and gold embroidery. The jacket brought out the emerald green in his eyes. He was also wearing a dashing black three cornered hat with gold braiding and a green button.

"Lily," he breathed, eyes widening, "My dear sister! Is this the same Lily who threw mud at Petunia and refused to wear pretty dresses?! Who are you and what have you done with my dear Lily-Lou?"

"Ha ha, very funny. You know that I was little and didn't know any better!"

"Oh, come off of it. You know you if you had the chance to do it again, you would."

Lily's eyes sparkled in mirth. "Maybe, you never know what can happen. I just thought, if she insisted on marrying a pig, then she may as well get used to the sty."

"Lily, she didn't meet Vernon until after your mud throwing years. You were much more devious by the time he came around," Paul said.

"Yes, well, meh," she said, sticking her tongue out at him. Before she could retract it, though, Paul had gotten a hold of it.

"Now, now, Miss Evans, that's not very kind of you," he said, laughing. Lily glared at him, trying to look menacing, but it was lost on Paul as she only looked funny to him with her tongue between his two fingers.

"Lily, dear, you don't want your face stuck like that. Just think of what your dear husband would say!" Lily only grumbled in response.

A knock sounded on the door. Paul and Lily, with her tongue still stuck out, turned to look as Remus poked his head into the room.

"Er –" Remus said, looking confused at Lily's predicament, "the ceremony is going to start in a few. James wanted me to see if you were ready."

Paul let go of Lily's tongue and she blushed.

Smoothing down her skirt, Lily got up and looked in the mirror once more. She played with a couple of curls to get them to sit right.

"I'm ready, Paul," she said, turning to him and smiling. Remus handed her a bouquet of white lilies and walked out of the room.

Paul looked at Lily and gave a small smile. "Now, are you sure you're ready, Lily?" he asked, slightly choked up.

"I'm positive, Paul."

"Because… you know that I can hook up a life boat or smuggle you off the ship."

"Paul! I'm perfectly fine and I _want_ to do this," Lily said, determined.

Paul gave a small chuckle, "I know, Lily-Lou, but I just wanted to make sure."

Lily just glared.

"Come now, Lily. I assume you want to get married today," Paul sighed.

Lily smiled and took his arm. Paul led her out onto the deck, ready to give his baby sister away.

A/N: I'm back! I have a couple other chapters written up, so I hope to get those posted soon. Thanks for the reviews! Please review as they really help a lot!


	33. Chapter 33

As Lily stepped out onto the deck, she heard a collective gasp in amazement. Lily looked to be sparkling. The sun was shining in the sky and it reflected off of the gold in Lily's dress and gave the illusion that her hair was on fire. James' mouth dropped in awe as he looked at his bride.

Lily couldn't help but smile at the reaction of the other pirates. The men were wearing their best clothes and had actually cleaned up nicely and, from the smell of it, taken a bath. They had been places standing in two groups, in order to give Lily an "aisle" to walk down.

There were white roses and lilies decorating the ship. It had also taken a cleaning and she had to admit that the _Marauder_ looked to be sparkling. A piece of white sail had been placed between the two groups of men as well and rose petals had been spread onto it.

It brought a tear to Lily's eyes as she thought about the amount of hard work they had spent getting ready for the wedding. She didn't know how she was going to repay them.

Once of the men had a fiddle and he played a version of the bridal march. Lily's eyes sparkled as tears prickled them. She was so happy to be finally marrying her love.

She looked to James who had a goofy grin on his face. He was wearing a white vest and gold coat. There was black braiding on the coat and his breeches were black as well. His three corner hat was black with a white plume. He looked so dashing, just like the pirate her was.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they reached the alter that had been constructed. Paul turned to Lily and kissed her cheek.

"I'm so proud of you, Lily-Lou," he whispered, stepping back and taking a spot in the on looking crowd.

Lily looked into James hazel eyes and was immediately lost. The minister, Reverend Michaels, was a portly, kind hearted man. He cleared his throat and started the ceremony.

"Today we assemble to celebrate the sacred matrimony of James Harold Potter and Lily Marie Evans. Who gives this woman to this man?" he asked.

"I-I do," Paul said, his voice breaking slightly. Lily turned back to him to give him a smile of thanks and love.

Reverend Michaels then went on to talk about love and the need to cherish it.

Honestly, as heard as Lily tried to pay attention, her mind kept wandering off. All she could think about was their future. What would they do after the hunt? What would their children look like? Would they grow to be old and be able to rock on the front porch of a little cottage in Jamaica?

Lily couldn't wait for that future. She would follow James anywhere, even to the ends of the Earth, if that meant staying with him.

Lily was shaken out of her reveries as Reverend Michaels cleared his throat.

"Now, on to the important part, the one where everyone listens to," he said, eyes twinkling.

The crowd laughed and she heard a mumble of "ayes".

"So, Lily Marie Evans, do you take James Harold Potter to love and to cherish, to have and to hold, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, for better or worse, as long as you both shall live?"

Lily swallowed back the tears and looked into James' eyes.

"I do."

"And do you, James Harold Potter, take Lily Marie Evans to love and to cherish, to have and to hold, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, for better or worse, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." Lily could hear a slight emotional waver in his voice.

"Now, the rings if you please," Reverend Michaels said, looking to Sirius, who was standing for James.

A look of panic ran across the man's features as everyone looked towards him. He patted his pockets, looking for the rings. James was steadily getting red as it took Sirius longer to find the rings.

"Umm, James –listen –"

"I have them, James," Remus said, smiling slightly. Lily could see the mirth in his eyes. Who would have known that Remus Lupin could play a prank?

"_You_ have them!" Sirius exclaimed. "And you waited until _now_ to tell me?!"

"They fell out of your pocket before the ceremony and I couldn't help myself."

"Would you two dunder heads –" James said, but was interrupted by a cough.

"Now that we've found the rings, may we please continue?"

James grinned sheepishly and nodded.

Clearing his throat, Reverend Michaels continued.

"Lily, repeat after me as you put this ring onto James' finger," he said, handing her the simple gold band.

"With this ring, I thee wed."

Lily took a deep breath and slipped the ring onto James' ring finger, "With this ring, I thee wed."

"James, take this ring and repeat after me, with this ring, I thee wed."

James positioned the gold ring onto her finger and she couldn't help but smile. A couple of tears slipped down her cheeks as she heard him say, "With this ring, I thee wed."

"I now pronounce you man and wife! Mr. Potter," Reverend Michaels said, smiling at him, "You may now kiss your bride."

James pulled her into an embrace and kissed her deeply. Lily forgot where she was, who she was, and everything else. It wasn't until she heard whistling that she realized they had an audience.

They broke the kiss and Lily buried her burning face into James' neck. James just laughed and squeezed her in tighter.

"I now present to you Mr. and Mrs. James H. Potter!"

The crew roared in applause. Lily and James had a wide grin across both of their faces.

The pirates drew out their swords and lifter them, creating an arch while James and Lily ran under it. Sirius followed and turned back to the pirates, yelling, "Rum on the Captain at the tavern!"

The pirates roared in jubilance, and suddenly, the crew of the _Marauder_ was running off the ship and into the local tavern.

Before the newlywed pair entered, James pulled Lily over and placed a deep kiss onto her lips. Lily smiled and closed her eyes, allowing him to deepen the kiss.

When Lily opened her eyes, she saw James standing there with a goofy grin on his face. "What was that for?" Lily asked, "Not that I minded or anything."

"Can't a man just kiss his wife anytime he wants?" he asked.

Lily beamed. "Well, I guess …"

"You guess," he said, mocking being offended, "Well, I guess that I shouldn't kiss you anymore."

"Now, James, you couldn't do that."

"Oh, couldn't I?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Not at all, my love," she said, lowering her voice into a seductive tone.

James swallowed and was silent for a couple of seconds. He placed a kiss on her lips and swept her up into his arms, cradling her close.

"What are you doing?" she asked, laughing and encircling her arms around his neck.

"Change of plans, dear. Hope you don't mind if we skip out on the rum. I mean, honestly, I personally want to remember tonight in the morning."

Lily chuckled. "Alright, dear husband. Carry me to our quarters," she said haughtily.

"As you wish, my lady," he whispered, carrying her back to the ship.

A/N: So, there it was! The big wedding! I hope it met everyone's expectations and please review to let me know! Thanks again for all the reviews and keep them coming!


	34. Chapter 34

Lily woke the next morning to something warm behind her and something heavy over her waist.

Blinking blearily, Lily turned over to face the warm object. She smiled as she saw the sleeping figure of James Potter, _her husband_. How odd, yet nice, it was to say that she had a husband.

She smiled, though, as she thought of the events of yesterday. The wedding had been perfect. It was better than anything she could have dreamt up when she was a little girl.

However, the thing that had her really smiling in pleasure was her wedding night. Although it hadn't been her first time, it was still better, and if even possible, more romantic.

James had placed rose petals on the bed. Candles were lighted all throughout the dark room, casting a warm glow on everything. He had lest a bottle of fine wine on his desk for them to drink, and Lily had to admit that it was absolutely delectable.

He had been so gentle and passionate that Lily was breathless. She sighed. Lily could get used to that every night. In fact, she could even insist it, not that he would mind. James seemed to enjoy it as much as she had.

Lily started tracing James' handsome face. As she got to his lips, she felt him kiss them and then she saw him open his eyes. James smiled as he saw his wife.

"Good morning, Mrs. Potter," he whispered, tightening his hold around her waist.

"Good morning, Mr. Potter," she replied, beaming at being called Mrs. Potter.

"Mmm, I could get used to this."

"Used to what?" she questioned.

"Waking up with you in my arms," he said, smiling.

If possible, Lily's smile got wider, "Well, my dear husband, I must say that it _is_ nice to wake up in your arms."

"Good, because, my dear wife, if it wasn't you would be in quite a dilemma because I simply don't think I can wake up in any way else anymore."

Lily giggled. "I'm sure you would find a way to get by."

"I guess I could use a pillow, at least _they_ don't talk," he teased.

"James Potter!" she said, "You take that back now. I know you value my opinions and thoughts."

"Of course I do, dear," he said kissing her forehead, then her nose, and finally her lips. Lily sighed in contentment. Nothing was better than this.

"Well, dear," James said, interrupting, "I suppose it's time to wake up and leave port to continue the search."

"Must we?" she asked, longing to stay in bed all day.

"Yes dear, we must. As soon as we find the treasure, I promise to give you a proper honeymoon," he said, sitting.

"Really? Even though, I may just want to consider settling down. I'm sure we'll be slightly tired of adventures after this one," Lily said, sitting up and reaching for her chemise.

"Meh, you may be right. It may sound nice to retire and live near Uncle in our own little house," he said, smiling and buttoning up a pair of brown breeches.

"Mmm, I could just picture it now," she said, sighing dreamily, "a little white house with a garden in the front and blue shutters."

"Oh, and don't forget the black haired, green-eyed children playing about the house," he said, coming up behind her and kissing her ear,

Lily smiled as she thought about the picture. "It would be quite lovely."

"Yes, I can see it now. But you know what makes it even more beautiful?" he asked.

"What?" she breathed.

"The lovely red-haired wife and mother sitting in a rocking chair humming a soft song to an equally red-haired little girl that looks just like her mama."

Lily smiled. "Don't forget the proud black-haired father," she said.

"Who? Sirius?" he teased.

"No, silly, you and you know it," she said, then sighed. "James, I really hope we live though this journey to see that dream come true."

"Of course we will darling," he said, kissing her softly, "of course we will.

The _Marauder_ left that evening after they had restocked supplies and patched a couple of holes caused by the storm.

Lily had been in a state of bliss all day. Even during her sword fighting lessons, she hadn't been paying attention. A fact that Sirius was quick to pick up on.

"Mrs. Potter, you seem quite tired today. May I inquire as to this drowsiness that seems to have befallen you? Mayhap the Captain kept you up all night?"

Lily scowled and blushed. "Shut it, you. I'm not tired at all, in fact, I'm not really feeling all that well," she said, grabbing her head as a wave of dizziness passed through her.

"Well, I never knew James to leave after affects after his 'wooing' escapades," Sirius teased. "Is he really that bad that he would leave you nauseous?"

"Dear God, Sirius," Lily growled, "will you just shut up? I'm not in the mood today."

"You were last night."

"That's it," she said, picking up her sword and rushing towards him.

A look of panic crossed the shaggy pirate's face as he frantically picked up his sword and started backing up. "Now Lilykins, you really wouldn't want to harm me now, would you?"

"I sure as hell would," she said, positioning her sword.

"Lily, I was only joking, you know that, hehe, right?" he asked hesitantly.

Lily didn't say anything; she just lunged at his head. Sirius yelped and leapt out of the way.

"James!" he yelled, "Your wife has officially gone crazy!"

James looked up from the maps and watched as Lily kept lunging furiously at Sirius while he tried to block her. "What did you do now?" he asked tiredly.

"I am sick and tired of him making sexual innuendos at every chance he can get," she said through gritted teeth.

"Oh, well, Sirius, her anger is quite well justified. Carry on, dear," he said absentmindedly, returning to his maps.

"Thank you, dear husband," she said, smiling sweetly.

"Yes, thanks mate," Sirius said weakly.

Lily positioned herself again and lunged. Sirius blocked and moved out of the way. The pair dueled silently, both showing no notion to give up.

"Lily, you can't hurt me. I know you aren't willing to draw blood, so let's just stop this silliness."

"You are right, Sirius," she said, sighing as she stopped fighting. "I can't draw blood."

"There, there, dear, it's quite understandable," he said, patting her back and looking slightly relieved.

"Oh no, you misunderstand me, Mr. Black. I said I have qualms against drawing blood, I said nothing about hair," she said, gripping her sword.

"Hair?" he repeated, but before he could say or do anything else, Lily had grasped a good chunk of hair and sheared the chunk off with her sword. She stepped back and showed him the fistful of hair that was in her clutched hands.

Sirius could only stare in horror. What had she done to his perfect hair?

"You –I –my hair!" he screeched, stuttering in disbelief. "JAMES!" he yelled. James looked up, startled at the sudden cry.

"Yes, Sirius? What is it now?"

"Your _wife_," he snarled, "just ruined my perfect looks! Make her walk the plank, keel haul her, whip her! No wait, she may take some _pleasure_ in that."

"Mr. Black," James snapped, "close your mouth before you dig yourself into a deeper hole. Remember who you speak of."

"Yeah, yeah," Sirius just grumbled.

"What was that, Mr. Black?" James asked, glaring at him.

"Yes, sir."

"Now, explain, the both of you, what just happened," he said, looking at both Sirius and Lily strictly.

"Well, you see –"

"He just –"

"One at a time, please," he barked. The pair had the decency to look ashamed. "Mrs. Potter, you may explain first." Sirius glared and muttered something about favoritism.

"Contrary to your thoughts, Mr. Black, it is not because Mrs. Potter is my wife, but because the law of etiquette demands that 'ladies go first'."

"As I had explained before, Mr. Black," Lily started, glaring at the shorn pirate, "had been making several indecent references as to last night's activities." Lily blushed as she said that. "So, I challenged Mr. Black to a duel. We fought for a while when he pointed out that I couldn't wound him physically, I knew he was right. So, I went for the next best thing… his pride. It was only a bit of hair."

"A bit!" he cried. "A bit! You call this," he said, pointing to the side of his head that was missing a good chunk of hair, "a bit? Ha! This is not a bit," Sirius said, now hysterical. "I have worked for years to get my hair to the perfection it is today and it was ruined by one chop from that –that harlot!"

Lily took an angry step towards him and James got a cold look on his face.

"While I said I will not judge you unfairly because she is my wife, I shall have to ask you to refrain from name calling to _any_ lady that steps on this ship, particularly my wife."

Sirius gulped at the intense glare on his captain's face. "Yes, sir," he said, head bowed.

"Now, I don't think I need to listen to your story, Mr. Black, since you had the _gall_ to act disrespectful. I assign you to extra watch duties at night for a week. Do you think that is fair?" Sirius nodded and Lily smiled smugly.

"Mrs. Potter," he barked. "You must learn to keep your temper." The grin slid off her face and she started to get steadily red in anger. "No fight was necessary and you should have walked away. You shall spend two days in your room. Is that understood?"

Lily opened her mouth to give an angry retort, but was cut off when James sharply said, "Is that understood?"

She nodded and stalked back to her room, ready to give her husband the cold shoulder for the next two days.

A/N: Well, there it is! Sorry that I haven't updated in a while, I just had slight internet troubles. School is starting back up soon, so I don't know how often I will be able to update, but I will try my best! Thanks for all they reviews and keep 'em coming!


	35. Chapter 35

Lily woke up the next morning all alone in the bed. She smirked as she looked down at the floor where James had made a makeshift bed and was currently sleeping.

It was late when he had snuck in and tried to get in the bed. Lily had sat up and glared at him. James had tried to glare back at her but failed. Muttering to himself, James had gathered extra blankets and a pillow and settled himself on the floor.

"The punishment still stands," he had said, once he was settled.

"As does yours," Lily humphed and turned her body away from him.

She sat up in bed and instantly regretted it. She clutched her head a wave of dizziness passed. What was wrong with her?

Suddenly, Lily had the urge to throw up. She shot up and ran to the wash basin, emptying her stomach. She groaned at the sight and closed her eyes. She grabbed some water and gargled it, trying to get rid of the taste.

Quickly throwing on a light floral cotton dress, she picked up the wash basin and went outside to empty it.

As she emptied the basin, she turned to see Paul standing beside her.

"I thought you were in solitary confinement?" he said, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Damn, you're right. I just didn't want this standing in the stuffy cabin," she said, motioning to the basin.

"Are you alright?" he asked, looking at her worriedly.

"Yes, of course I am," she said, walking back to her room. "I suppose it is just a bit of sea sickness."

"If you say so," he said, doubt in his voice.

"I do," she stated firmly, going back into her cabin and closing the door.

"Where were you?" a voice called from behind her. Lily closed her eyes and gave a mental groan. She turned around slowly to face her husband, who was standing there with his arms crossed and a disgruntled look on his face.

"I had to empty the wash basin," she said stiffly.

"And why couldn't you let me empty it?"

"Because I didn't think you would want to empty something full of the contents from my dinner last night that just happened to come back up this morning."

"What do you –oh. You vomited? Are you alright?" he asked, instantly worried. He walked over to her and placed a hand on her forehead, checking for a fever.

"I'm fine, James," she said, shrugging him off. "I suppose it's only a spot of sea sickness."

"You don't get sea sickness, Lily," he said impatiently.

"Yes, well maybe I do now," she said, turning to brush he hair.

"Lily, he sighed, "I understand that you are mad at me, but you must remember that, as captain, I must keep this ship in order. I can't show blatant favoritism or there would be a mutiny."

Lily turned to look at her husband who was imploring her to understand his actions.

She sighed, "I think I understand, James," she said softly. James gave a sigh of relief.

"But that doesn't mean I'm not still angry at you."

"Lily…" he whined.

"No, James Potter, you made a complete and utter fool out of me yesterday and I don't appreciate being chided by you in front of everyone. Mind you, my outburst was unnecessary, it _was_ justifiable," she said, staring straight at him.

James sighed, "Listen, Lily, you need to understand –"

"No, you need to understand where I am coming from you. And, until you do, you can just make yourself comfortable on the floor."

"Yes, dear," he said, walking towards the door. "I love you," he called.

Lily stared at him stonily and then sighed. "You know I love you, James. Just… go, please," she asked.

James nodded and left the room. Lily watched as he left. It really was for his own good. However, she couldn't help but think she may have overreacted. Oh no! What if he was mad her? What if he regretted marrying her? The thought brought tears to her eyes.

She shook her head. Why was she being so emotional lately? She never used to tear up at these thoughts… or even have them! Not to mention she was never this irrational. Sure she had a temper, but she never flew off the handle this quickly and badly. Was her cycle coming soon? Lily thought back to when she had last had it. Was it before or after they had left?

Bloody hell! Lily's thoughts came to a screeching halt. The last time she had her cycle was in Jamaica… before she and James had… had.

Oh bullocks. No, no, no, no. This cannot be possibly be! She just couldn't be with… with… _with child_! This had to be one of the most inconvenient, ill planned times ever!

If she really was –that, then James wouldn't let her go find the treasure. But she was needed! They needed her for the Medallion. James would be even more of an over protective git than he was now.

Well, she wasn't even sure she was! I mean, for all she knew, she _was_ suffering from sea sickness and the constant rocking of the ship was just throwing her cycle onto a different schedule. Yes, that was it! There was just no way she could be pregnant.

Still, Lily though longingly, it would be nice to have James' child growing in her womb. Feeling it move and kick and watching James' face light up in elation as he felt the baby would be heavenly. Lily's hand unconsciously drifted down her stomach as she lightly and lovingly caresses it with a smile on her face.

Lily quickly snatched her hand away. No! She couldn't be thinking like that because it couldn't be true. Still, it wouldn't hurt to visit a midwife to confirm or disprove her theory. As soon as they reached a port, she'd visit one.

Damn, how would she explain the reasoning for her visit? James would demand a set of guards to go with her if she said she had to run an errand. Most likely he would send Remus, Sirius, and Paul, which would be terribly embarrassing. She would have to explain the visit to her brother, or worse… to Sirius. Lily had to repress a shudder at the thought of Sirius finding out about her suspicions.

Lily gasped. If she really was having a baby, then everyone would know that they had… well –_done it_, before marriage. She didn't know how she would be able to face the crew after that!

No, she would have to sneak off the ship disguised as a boy. Yes, hopefully that would work and then she would find out what was wrong with her. There was no need to worry her husband with her foolish nervousness. It was nothing. Yes, absolutely nothing.

A/N: Sorry that you all had to wait a week, but school has officially started! Yes, I know everyone is happy about that. I had so much homework over the week and other things that I just couldn't write! I hope to get a chapter posted every weekend, but I can't promise anything. Thanks again for all the reviews and please keep them coming!


	36. Chapter 36

A week had passed, and although Lily had acted courteous to James, she still hadn't allowed him into her bed. Everyone could see the dark circles around his eyes and stiff movements. It was quite obvious that he hadn't gotten a good night's sleep in a while.

Lily had to admit that she missed her husband, but her damn pride wouldn't let her tell him. He didn't mention anything to her and each night he come in silently and slept on the ground.

She was still vomiting in the morning and feeling dizzy. James didn't know, and she wanted to keep it that way.

Every time she came out to empty the washbasin, she would see Paul looking at her worriedly and Remus gazing at her with a knowing look on his face. She sincerely hoped he didn't suspect what she thought was wrong. He would surely tell James. Lily had taken to avoiding both Paul and Remus.

However, this morning, she wasn't so lucky.

The day was bright and the seas were calm, although that did nothing to settle her churning stomach. She had thrown up that morning and was currently hurrying to throw the mess overboard before someone could find her.

She had just reached the railing when she heard a voice call from behind her.

"Mrs. Potter?" Lily cringed. Still holding the washbasin full of vomit, Lily turned to face Remus.

"Yes, Remus? How many times had I told you to call me Lily? I am married to your best friend, so I am sure that we can be familiar with each other."

"My apologies, Lily," he said, nodding his head towards her. His eyes then looked to the washbasin clutched in her hands.

"Lily, are you feeling well? I couldn't help but notice that you have been –er …emptying the washbasin quite frequently. I highly doubt that you are experiencing sea sickness," he said, raising an eyebrow at her.

Lily threw the contents of the basin overboard and turned to face Remus squarely. "Nothing is wrong, Remus. I thank you for your concern, but it truly is _just_ sea sickness."

Lily turned to walk back to her cabin, but Remus stopped her by grabbing her wrist. "Lily," he whispered," I've seen the signs. I think you and I _both_ know what is really wrong."

"I don't know _what_ you are talking about," she said, yanking her hand out of his grasp.

"You have been throwing up constantly, nauseous, moody. Lily, it is quite obvious. You are with child."

Lily sighed. "Remus, I may suspect that I am …with child, but I don't think is really a confirmed fact. It is just something that I have put out of my mind now."

"This isn't something that you forget about and it goes away. You and James need to have some sort of reconciliation and then you must talk to him about this."

"That will not happen!" she said shrilly. "I am not going to tell him of my suspicions and neither will you."

"He needs to know," Remus said forcibly.

"No, he does not. It will only worry him more and you know I am needed for the Medallion. Why worry him when I myself am not even sure that it is true?"

"Fine, but Lily, you really need to see a midwife or doctor of some sort," he said quietly.

"I know, Remus. I was planning to do that as soon as we landed. I've just been figuring out how to sneak away to visit one," she said.

"I will be glad to assist you, Lily. James will demand that a bodyguard accompany you wherever you go. I will volunteer myself and then we will both go to the midwife," he proposed.

"Thank you so much, Remus," she said, relief evident in her eyes. Lily went back to her cabin with a lighter heart.

"And Lily," she heard Remus call, "please talk to James. I know he misses you."

Lily looked back at him and smiled. Nodding, she went back to her room.

That night, as Lily sat in bed brushing her hair, she reflected upon what Remus had said about James. Perhaps it was time to swallow her pride. She did miss him and he was looking horrible. She knew if they were attacked, he wouldn't be able to fight like he usually would be able to. What if he were killed because of that?!

Lily stopped brushing her hair and her eyes widened in horror at the thought. That would mean that he would die thinking she hated him. And the fact that they were in imminent danger meant that certain nightmare could in fact become a reality. She didn't think she could handle that reality.

Lily looked up as she heard the door creak open. The room was dark as she saw James' figure sneak into his make-shift bed.

"James," she said quietly.

"Yes, Lily," he sighed, trying to settle and find a comfortable spot on the floor.

"I am sorry about everything," she started, "I –I guess my pride wouldn't let me say that. I understand why you had to punish me. I truly am sorry."

James got out of the bundle of sheets and padded silently over to where she was laying. He sat down beside her and gently started running his fingers through her hair.

"Oh, Lily," he said, "I know that."

"You do?" she asked.

"Yes. I also know that I love you."

"James," she said, smiling slightly, "I love you, too."

James smiled and gave her a kiss on the forehead. He got up and went to settle back into the blankets on the floor. Lily watched him, curious of his actions.

"What are you doing, James?" she asked.

"I am going to sleep," he said, looking at her like it was obvious.

"James," she sighed, her face softening, "You may come back and sleep in the bed."

James gave her a goofy grin and slipped into bed beside her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her tightly against him.

"Mmm, I've missed this," he said.

Lily smiled. "So have I, but you want to know what I missed the most?" she asked, smiling up at him with a devious little grin.

"What, Lily-love?"

"Making love to you."

James smirked and pulled her closer, if that were even possible.

"Well, Mrs. Potter," he said, "I think I can remedy that."

A/N: Sorry that took so long! I had a crazy amount of school work and, well, I am a HUGE procastinator! Thanks for all the reviews and please keep reviewing, it is so helpful.


	37. Chapter 37

A month had flown by, full of storms like the first one, although not a threatening, and numerous colors and lights in the sky. Lily had to admit that the Bermuda Triangle was a spooky place. During the night, she could swear that she heard wailing coming from the horizon. Luckily, the mysterious illness had passed.

They were currently running low on food and many times, the crew skipped the midday meal. Lily herself tried to eat a full meal, just in case she really was carrying a child. She didn't want to be seen as selfish, though, so she generally snacked throughout the day with smaller portions to make it seem as though she was eating less.

As the month had passed, she had slowly gotten used to the idea of being with child, and couldn't help but fell as though her suspicions were now fact. It had been three months since they had left Jamaica, and she now had a slight, yet firm, bump.

Often in the day, she would find her hand wander down to her stomach to longingly caress it. She would then quickly look around to make sure no one was around and had seen the gesture. Most of the crew remained ignorant, but she knew Remus had caught her and given her knowing looks numerous times. He was still pushing her to tell James.

Ah, James. Ever since they had made up, James had been the perfect doting husband. He was extra careful to be nice to her since he didn't want to be in trouble again. He had even gotten Sirius to apologize to her and she and Sirius were back to their teasing camaraderie.

Lily also noticed that James was taking care of the crew. She knew that his hopes were quite down, but he strove to keep the crew in a positive mood, which wasn't an easy feat. Every night, James would come to bed extremely tires and with a long face. He was getting worried about the supplies and the fact that they were still in the Triangle for so long. She prayed that they would arrive soon.

Honestly, Lily had been extremely bored thought the entire journey. There wasn't much to do on a ship and she had easily finished all of the books on the ship in two weeks. She had even gotten desperate enough to ask the men if she could mend their clothes. Lily typically hated the tedious task of sewing, but she was bored.

After every hole had been sewn, darned, and mended, Lily was bored again. She was bored enough that she had even added some embroidery onto the men's shirts, something they were not so appreciative about. Apparently borders and designs on their shirts didn't look menacing enough for pirates.

So, after she had seen a pile of the embroidered pieces ripped off of the shirts, she gave up and decided to sew clothes for the –er, _possible_ baby.

She had already sewn nappies and baby gowns, so she had started knitting booties and hats. Of course, she couldn't do this outside, so Lily was confined to her cabin, which was immensely displeasing to her.

Lily had taken to burying the clothes into the bottom of her green trunk where the fancy dresses were. No one would bother to look through her things and Lily herself rarely went to the green trunk for clothes.

Sadly, she thought that she would soon have to stop since there were so many. One would think that she was having five babies, not one. Oh God, she gasped at the thought. She wasn't even sure how she was to handle one baby, but _five_? Lily shuddered at the thought. One thing was for sure, though, her baby would not be at loss for clothing.

Putting the pair of booties she had just finished back into the trunk, Lily close it and stood up. She walked over to the porthole and out over at the sea. She willed for the endless blue to make way for green earth. She dearly wanted to make port, find the treasure, and settle down. More importantly, she wanted to visit a midwife.

Lily squinted out at the horizon. She could have sworn she saw… but, who would be in these waters? She squinted again. Yes, there was a ship. It had… what was it? Black sails? Yes, that appeared to be it. But what ship used black sails? Certainly no merchant vessel or navy ship. So that only left… pirates.

Lily gasped. Did someone else know about the Medallion? The only people she knew were either dead or far away from them.

Looking closely at the flag, their colors showed a dark green flag with a skull on it. Was that a –yes, it was a snake coming out of the skull's mouth. '_Who sailed under those colors?' _She thought, turning away for a minute to collect her thoughts.

As Lily pressed her face against the portal once more, she blinked in surprise. The ship was no longer there!

"That's odd," she murmured, blinking her eyes rapidly as if to try and clear them. Maybe they were just playing tricks on her.

"What's odd?" she heard come from behind her. Lily jumped and spun around.

"James," she exhaled, bringing a hand to her rapidly beating heart. "You gave me a fright!"

"I'm dearly sorry, Lily-love," he said, smiling at her, "but I have something to show you!"

"What is it, James?" she asked, looking up curiously at his mischievously sparkling eyes.

"You'll just have to wait and see, Mrs. Potter," he said, smiling even more and grabbing her hand.

She was dragged by her husband out onto the deck of the ship. He brought her near the side and let go of her hand. Lily spun to face him and placed her hands on her hips.

"Why in the world did you drag me out here?"

"I wanted to show you something out on the horizon," he replied, smiling down at her.

"James, dear," she said slowly, "there is only water. You see, dear, we are at sea so that can be –"

She was cut odd as James turned her around to look out at the horizon. Lily's mouth dropped open in surprise. Out in the distance was a small strip of green.

"Is that –?"

"Yes," James said, smiling.

"So, you mean that –?"

"Yes, we'll be on land tomorrow!"

Lily jumped into his arms and gave him a large kiss. He met her lips eagerly and the pair forgot about their audience until they heard whistling.

Lily broke the kiss with a beet red face. James had a goofy smile on his face as he looked out upon his crew.

"Mates," he called, "get ready to make land!"

A cry of excitement rang out through the ship as they all celebrated. No one noticed a rat drop a bottled message into the water behind them.

A/N: Can I just say how sorry I am for such a late update? I have had tons of schoolwork and a mild case of writer's block. Curse you writer's block! Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and get ready for some action filled chapters in the next coming chapters! The end is slowly approaching.

P.S. please review!


	38. Chapter 38

It was a clear blue morning as the _Marauder_ landed at a rickety old dock. Lily couldn't shake the eerie feeling she was getting from the place. No one was at the dock except for a few locals who stood watching them as they came in.

"James," Lily whispered, standing beside him and looking out at the scene. "Are you sure that this is the right place?"

"Yes," he said, "I'm sure that it is only deserted because no one in their right mind would _want_ to live here. Not to mention there is no man who wants to take the perilous journey to get here."

"Except us –treasure hunters…pirates," he said, smirking.

"Men," he called out, "get ready to debark. We need to eat and stock up for the journey on land."

Everyone started to move about as they prepare to land. Lily saw Remus inching his way closer to her. Lily walked over to him inconspicuously.

"Are you ready to go, Mr. Lupin?" she asked out of the corner of her mouth.

"Yes, now, all you have to do is ask James to leave. He will demand you take a guard. I'll offer myself up, and then we can go find out if we'll have a baby pirate on the way," he said, smiling at the last part.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Well, off I go," she muttered. She made her way over to James, who was currently surveying the crew's actions as they scurried about. She took a deep breath as she approached him and cleared her throat.

"Yes, Lily?" he asked, turning towards her and looking startled.

"James, I was –well, I was wondering if –it wouldn't be too much trouble if I could –well, go into town."

"What?" he asked, surprised at her request.

"May I please go into town?"

"Why would you need to go into town?"

"I need some –some sewing items!" she said.

His eyes narrowed at her, "I know that you hate sewing and I also know that you have stitched every hold up in this ship. What more could you possibly need to sew?"

"James," she said exasperatedly, "please, just let me go. I need to get off this ship!"

His eyes softened as he looked at his wife's pleading face. He sighed, "Alright."

Lily squealed and jumped into his arms, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"However," he interrupted with a stern look on his face, "I do demand that Sirius and Remus go with you."

"What?" she asked, horrified at the way things had turned. She didn't want Sirius to come! It was bad enough that Remus insisted upon going, but now Sirius was required to go!

Lily turned to Remus with a pleading look on her face, begging him to change James' mind. Remus only gave a noncommittal shrug and prepared to go onto the dock. Lily stamped her foot in annoyance and looked back to James.

"Fine," she said, her nose up in the air, "If you insist. However, you must make sure that Mr. Black is on his best behavior. I'm not in the mood for his jokes today."

"Oh Lilikins! How could I ever get on your nerves?" Sirius asked, swinging an arm around her shoulder and yelling into her ear.

"Quite easily," she said through gritted teeth, trying to push the large pirate away.

"Deep, _deep_ down, Lily, I know you love me. You are just trying to hide it from the captain. Not to worry, Lily-dear, I'm sure we can find an easy way to give Jamie-boy here the slip and have some true fun."

Lily gave one final shove and watched him topple down onto the deck. The on looking crew laughed uproariously as James glared at the shaggy haired man.

"Alright, Sirius, that's enough. You must promise me that you shall not irritate my wife whilst you are in town. Do you promise?"

Sirius sighed. "I promise… you really take the fun out of life," he muttered that last part under his breath.

The trio made their way off of the ship and went into the quite town.

"It's sort of unnerving," Remus muttered.

"What is?" Lily asked, turning her head to face him.

"The silence and the lack of life and movement. It's just… odd."

"You're right," Sirius said, tightening his grip on the sword around his waist. Lily and Remus did the same.

The town had a spare house her and there and a few people bustling, but there wasn't the typical hum of human voices gossiping, the shouts of people selling their wares, and the noises of animals and carriages making their way down the street. Remus was right. It was downright spooky.

Although the town was scary and not all that pleasant, Lily couldn't help but revel in the freedom she felt. After being cooped up on a ship for three months, it was nice to stretch her legs and roam on the green earth.

She also enjoyed the fact that she was free from her cumbersome skirts that she had to wear daily. James insisted that she don that clothing of a man so as not to attract trouble. She felt scandalous in the breeches, but she couldn't help but enjoy it.

"Do you know where it is?" she whispered in Remus' ear as they had yet to inform Sirius of their mission.

"Yes, Paul managed to tell me before we left."

"Paul! Does he know why we needed to come here? Oh, he can't know, I –"

"Lily, calm down," Remus said, stopping her from her mad whispering. "I told him I needed to find out if we could get medicine in case we encountered another disease like the one on the voyage here. Maybe the woman would be able to tell us what it was."

"Good. That was smart Remus," she said, patting him on the shoulder.

"Now, if I am correct, the midwife's house should be right… here," he said, stopping in front of a small hut on sticks. It was completely surrounded by foliage. There wasn't another structure around it.

"Well, let's go," she said, holding her head high and walking up the stairs.

"Here?" Sirius cried in disbelief. "Why on earth would we stop here?"

"Because, Sirius," Remus interjected, "we need to get medicine for the strange disease."

"I thought we were going to buy frilly, lacy, feminine things, not going into creep old huts!"

"Is the big, bad pirate scared, Sirius?" Lily taunted as she stood on the wraparound porch. "You can always stay outside."

Just then, a rustling noise came from the bushes. Sirius jumped in fright.

"Nope, I'm going with you."

"I thought so," Lily smirked, turning towards the door. She raised her hand and rapped three times. She felt Remus and Sirius move closer to her as they heard footsteps from the other side of the door walk closer to them. They looked up once they saw the door open.

An old, tan, leathery-skinned woman stood in the door way. She had black eyes and long grey, almost white, hair. Beads of braids had been situated in the long silvery hair. She was wearing an odd dress that consisted of leaves and animal skins. Lily noticed her feet were bare underneath her long skirts.

"Er –we are here to see the midwife," Lily said hesitantly, "Is she here?"

"That would be me," she said, her voice surprisingly deep and warm with only a hint of a Caribbean accent.

"We –I… need your, er, services," Lily said, stuttering slightly.

"Come in then," she said, opening the door wider for the trio to walk in. The midwife stood there regally and if it weren't for her mismatched, nature-made clothing, Lily would have sworn she was a queen.

Lily looked around the room as they stepped in the hut. It was a circular room with reed and clay walls. Up in the rafters there hung different plants and herbs. There were so many strange knick-knacks on tables and the floor. A couple of chickens were clucking contentedly in the corner.

"What is it that you need?" she asked, her head poised just like a warrior.

"May I speak to you in private?" Lily asked, taking a step towards the woman.

"My name is Kahla," that woman said in her deep voice, "and I have been expecting you."

Lily's mouth dropped in surprise. She looked back at Remus and Sirius, who wore similar expressions of their faces.

"Follow me," Kahla said, walking behind a curtain. Lily followed and saw a small bed with a thin mattress situated beside a table with numerous bottles and herbs strewn about.

"Lay down," the old woman demanded. Lily did so and awkwardly looked up at her. The woman pulled Lily's shirt up to reveal her stomach that held a curve. Kahla's withered and old hands roamed her stomach and she put pressure along the bump.

"How did you know I was –how were you sure that I was coming in for… this?" Lily whispered as Kahla's hands continued to move around her stomach.

"I always know," Kahla replied.

"So, am I really going to have a baby?" Lily asked hesitantly.

"Yes."

Lily let out the breath of air she didn't realize she was holding. She really was with child. She and James were going to have a baby together. They were starting their own family.

"Thank you," she exhaled, pulling her shirt down and sitting up. "Is there anything I need to know, er –to do? I –well, this is my fist child and I haven't really been around women who are with child. I just don't know what to do. I could ruin my child's life! Oh no! I haven't been watching anything I've eaten for the past three months. What if something happened? Does that make me a bad mother? Oh my! I just –,"

"Mrs. Potter, do not worry," Kahla said, interrupting Lily's rambling.

"How –how did you know my name?" she asked, blinking in surprise.

"You will be a good mother. Eat good foods and don't stress yourself," the old woman said.

"Oh, well, thank you, Miss Kahla. I guess we should go now. Will this do for your pay?" Lily asked, standing up and pulling five gold coins out of her pocket.

The woman held out her hand and nodded. Lily dropped the coins into the withered hand. She made her way to where Remus and Sirius were and they prepared to leave.

"I have the herbs you need for your next voyage," Kahla said, passing Remus a glass vial that held something leafy in it.

"How did you –"

"Don't even ask," Lily mumbled, "just say thank you."

"Oh, well, thank you, madam." Remus said, bowing to her.

"Thank you, again, Miss Kahla," Lily said as Remus and Sirius were heading out of the door.

"Mrs. Potter," Kahla called, stopping her just as she was out the door. "Your son will do amazing things. He will conquer an evil like no other and save numerous lives. However, it shall not be easy for him, but you will make sure you can do everything for him. He will be great," Kahla said mysteriously.

"What do you mean?" Lily started, but Kahla had already moved behind the curtain.

Lily closed the door and walked down the stairs. _What did the old woman mean?_ She was lost in her thoughts, but picked up the pace in order to catch up with Remus and Sirius.

"Well, she was an odd once," Sirius said. "I will be quite content if we never have to see her again. What were you back there behind the curtain talking about with her?" he asked, looking at Lily.

"Oh, just some womanly things," Lily replied, blushing. Sirius blushed in turn, embarrassed about anything to do with a woman's body besides ravishing and claiming it.

Remus looked over at her with a look that clearly said, _so_? Lily nodded and watched as Remus' face lit up in a smile. Lily couldn't help but smile back.

"When will you –"

"Mates," James called, walking up to them. Lily smiled as she saw her dashing husband (and father of their child!) walk towards them. "We have our heading!"

A/N: I am so sorry about the long wait. It's just school has been crazy busy. Please review, though, and tell me what you thought!


	39. Chapter 39

Everyone was carrying packages as they trudged through the jungle. Paul led the expedition with a compass and map in hand. He said it was a half-day's trip out.

It was difficult maneuvering their way through the heavy foliage and the whole crew had their swords out, cutting braches and vines. They were drenched with sweat from the exerting workout and hot climate.

Lily looked over to James, who looked excited about their close proximity to the treasure. After waiting and searching for so long, they would finally find it. It had been a rough and long journey and it was coming to an end. She knew he was looking forward to a retirement, but he didn't know about the next journey he would be embarking… fatherhood.

Lily still hadn't gotten around to telling James about the pregnancy. They hadn't had time alone or to stop and rest. She didn't want to tell him around the crew, she could see that turning potentially embarrassing.

So, she was stuck mulling over the idea of her impending pregnancy. She knew Remus was eyeballing her and giving her a look that clearly said, _have you told him yet_? She shook her head and watched him sigh in slight annoyance.

"It should be just ahead," she heard Paul call from the lead.

_Thank the good Lord_, she thought.

Just beyond the heavy vines that the men quickly cut through, stood a small cave. Width wise, it wasn't very wide and it looked as though everyone would have to file in one by one.

"Pettigrew, Mitchell, Hankie, Puggs, and Smitty, you will stay behind and guard the entrance," James delegated, pointing to the men.

"The rest of us, file in."

Lily grabbed James' hand as Paul, Sirius, and Remus went in first. There were gold engraved torches on the wall. They each grabbed one, and using flint, started to light them.

"Remember," James said, "stay close and keep your eyes keen." With that, James led Lily into the cavern while the rest of the crew filed in after them.

The walls were grimy and damp, but as they got deeper in, she started to see the walls get smoother. The floor started descending. More golden torches lit the way as Paul lighted each one he passed.

After ten minutes of walking, Lily gasped. On the wall were murals, both painted and carved. The walls had widened to at least allow three people at a time to move through. The walls showed everyday scenes from people of Atlantis. There were field workers, women caring for children, women making bread, men forging tools, people reading, writing, and creating. There were animals and plants, anything and everything else.

"The artistry is amazing," Lily breathed as she lightly fingered the face of a young boy. "The likeness is incredible. They all look so real. Where would our art be if it had all not been lost? There is linear perspective and shading, it's simply marvelous."

"The Atlanteans were masters in every field. It is such a shame that it was all lost," Paul said, coming to stand behind her.

Remus put his face close to the walls to study it even closer. "The brushstrokes are invisible. This method wasn't even recognized until the Renaissance."

"Lookey!" Sirius exclaimed, grinning. "They are all naked! Look at those women," he whistled. "I wish I could have lived then."

Lily, James, Paul, and Remus all rolled their eyes. Remus reached over and swatted him on the back of the head. The rest of the crew snickered. They had clearly been having the same thoughts.

"Shall we move on?" James asked, motioning to the next corridor.

Everyone nodded and proceeded to follow him. They went deeper and deeper into the cavern. It had narrowed down again to require everyone to file one by one. Lily kept a hand on James' back as they navigated their way through the twisting hall.

"How much longer?" Lily asked Paul.

"We should be reaching a room soon," he called back. Lily squinted her eyes and could see a black block or door that they were quickly approaching.

Just as they were about to enter the dark room, Paul stopped them.

"What is it?" Sirius asked. "Why did you stop? Isn't this the room?"

"Yes, Sirius," he said, sighing. "I'm almost positive that this is the room, but we must read with caution and be prepared for any traps the Atlanteans may have set up."

"Traps?" Lily asked, confused.

"Yes, traps. We know that the Atlanteans were technologically advanced. Their secrets were ones that could and would unlock numerous doors. We know that they wouldn't want to hand such valuable information to the first idiot to walk through the door."

Everyone turned to look at Sirius, who was currently scratching his behind. He looked up, "What?"

Paul rolled his eyes. "So, does anyone have something that they are willing to throw in, or will we be drawing straws?"

"Here," Lily said, pulling one of the torches off of the wall. Paul took it and nodded his thanks.

"Well, here we go," he said, looking at the crew, who all held their breath in anticipation.

He threw it in and they all heard the whistling of arrows and the clunk of the torch as it hit the floor. A piercing clang ran though the room and echoed. Everyone gulped.

"Well, that solves that issue," Sirius said, giving a nervous grin.

"We should probably throw in another one," Paul said, grabbing the next torch.

He threw it into the pitch black darkness and they all waited with bated breath. All they heard was a clang as the torch hit the floor. Everyone let out the breath they were holding and sighed.

"So, who wants to go first?" Sirius asked, smiling in hopes to lighten the mood.

"I will," James said, stepping forward.

"No, James!" Lily cried, "You can't," she said, grabbing onto his arm. "What if you get killed?"

"James, you don't have to," Sirius said, looking at him seriously. "You have a wife now, James. You can't go risking your life."

"It is my duty as captain, Sirius," he said, clapping him on the shoulder before pulling him into a brotherly embrace. "If I should die," he whispered, "promise me that you will take care of Lily."

"I promise," he replied, choking back tears.

James turned to Remus and hugged him as well. No words could be exchanged. He shook hands with Paul and asked him to take care of Lily as well. James turned to his men one last time, "If I die… that that is what shall happen. I will die knowing that I protected one of my crew members."

"What about me?" Lily asked, tears streaming down her face.

"Lily, these last couple of months has been the best of my life," he whispered, pulling her close. The other men stepped back and gave the couple their privacy.

"I have never regretted stealing you upon my ship. You looked so brave that day and I could see a spark of something special within you. I have enjoyed every single moment with you, even when we were fighting and at each other's necks. My only regret is that we didn't have enough time," he said, kissing her tears away before reaching her lips and mustering as much passion he could in that one kiss.

"James," she whispered, "I love you, too and –"

"Shush, love. That is all I need to hear," he said, kissing her again and stepping back.

"James, wait!" she cried.

But it was too late. He had already stepped into the room. The whooshing sound of arrows sounded.

"You are going to be a father," she whispered, before collapsing onto the ground.

A/N: Hey everyone! I am so sorry that it took me so long. I know I sort of left you at a cliff hanger, but I'll try my hardest to get the next chapter up! Please review because they really help!


	40. Chapter 40

Paul dropped to her side as Lily started bawling. Remus and Sirius, as well as the rest of the crew, had tears streaking down their faces.

He was gone, Lily thought, never to return. Never to speak to her, fight with her, make love to her. Never would he see the dace of his child and hold them. Never to watch the child learn to walk, say "Dada" for the first time. Never to watch them fall in love and marry and see his grandchildren… all of it –he'd miss!

Her husband was gone. Her husband was not going to return to her. He was on his next journey and it wasn't one she could join.

Oh, James, she was –

A groan came from the black abyss. Everyone stilled and perked their ears.

"James," Lily called.

Another moan sounded. "Ugh, that is going to be sore in the morning."

"James Harold Potter, what just happened!?" Lily screeched.

"It's safe, you all can come in," he called. "And bring a couple of torches in here, it's quite dark. Oh, and watch your step."

The men all grabbed their torches and hesitantly make their way into the room. Paul held Lily's arm carefully as she moved to the doorway.

"Is it true?" he asked her.

"Is what true?"

"That you are going to be a mother, Lily. I heard you say it as James went in. Actually, I'm pretty sure the whole crew heard."

Lily blushed, "Yes, it is true."

"Lily, you shouldn't be here. What are you doing? I can't believe –"

"Where is my wife?" she heard James call. Lily's face lit up as she entered the room and saw her husband standing in one piece.

"James," she breathed, before throwing herself into his arms. She started kissing every part of his face she could reach.

"Don't -" _kiss_, "ever do –" _kiss_, "something that –" _kiss_, "stupid –" _kiss_, "ever, ever again." _Kiss_

Capturing her lips and giving her a passionate kiss, she melted in his arms. Breaking the kiss, he face her a big smile and said, "I promise, love."

Lily gave him a beaming smile before placing her face into the crook of his neck and breathing in his scent. She felt his hands roam over her over her shoulders and down her back, making their way to the front. They kept roaming until they stopped at her stomach.

"Lily," he said, pulling and looking into her eyes, "is what you said true?"

Lily beamed up at him and put her hands over his. "Yes, James. You are going to be a father in six months time."

"Six months –me –father," he said, eyes wide and mouth gaping.

"Yes, James. You –"

"Lily!" he cried, swinging her into his arms and laughing in ecstasy. "I'm going to be a father!" he crowed. Lily could only giggle as he continued to twirl her.

"Wait a second," he said, suddenly serious. "Why didn't you tell me _before_ we came here?"

"Well, you see," she started hesitantly. "I knew you wouldn't let me go if you knew! Not to mention that I wasn't positive until today when I went to the Midwife's hut."

"Damn right I wouldn't have let you come!" he said. "And I what do you mean you went to the Midwife's hut? You said you went into town."

"I had to know. Please, James, I knew that I had to be here for the Medallion. I'm the only one who can hold it and I didn't want you to worry."

"Lily," he sighed, "I guess I understand, but that doesn't mean I have to like it," he added, seeing her look of relief.

"James," she said, trying to steer the conversation away from her mild deception, "we thought you had died. Tell us what happened."

"Yes, Captain," Sirius called. "You big idiot, we thought you had left us to fend for ourselves."

A resounding call of "Ayes" from the crew roared up. James smiled mischievously.

"Well," he started, "I was walking into the room, my heart was racing, but I knew I had to be brave." Lily rolled her eyes at his dramatics. "The room was eerily silent as I put my first foot down. I walked two steps and nothing happened. I walked two more steps, and again, nothing happened. I took another step and –_whoosh_," the crew jumped, "Arrows upon bunches of arrows started flying from the walls. I couldn't move forward, so I threw myself onto the ground. Suddenly, a whistling sound came from the ground. Small holes opened as spears started popping up from the ground. I rolled this way and that way, just barely missing the spears as they threatened to pierce me straight through. Finally, as I was sure that I would never see my wife and dear crew again, the arrows and spears stopped and I knew that my life had been spared."

The crew clapped in awe of their captain's heroism. He was the bravest captain they could ever hope for. Lily just snorted at James' dramatics as he soaked up the glory.

"If you are done bragging, we should probably continue on," Paul remarked dryly.

"Yes," James said, clearing his throat. "Let us move on."

The group moved to another passageway that led deeper and deeper into the cavern. The floor was now descending in a steep incline, but was wide enough to let two people walk side-by-side.

James held Lily close to him and held the torch high to give light as they kept walking. He wasn't keen on bringing his wife and child into any danger, but he knew it was too late.

_His child_. The thought still sent goose bumps up and down his arms. His beautiful wife was carrying their child. It was just… amazing. Unbelievable. Miraculous. A thousand other good things.

The group was getting closer, he could feel it. As soon as they had the treasure, they would grab it and go. They would sail back to Jamaica. He would leave the ship in Sirius' and Remus' care and he and Lily would stay in their own house with their child. James couldn't help but smile at the thought.

An opening from the hallway appeared. James sincerely hoped it wasn't going to be another trap. He didn't want to go through that again.

"Someone, throw a torch in," Lily said. One of the men, Clark, gave her a torch. She nodded her head in thanks and threw it in. Everyone waited for something to happen. When nothing did, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

"Let's go," Paul called. They walked into the room and Lily couldn't help but gasp. Murals and frescos were all over the walls. They were embedded with jewels and painting with gold and lapis lazuli. It was astounding. Everyone spread out, lighting torches.

"Look," Lily breathed, "they depict a story."

Paul stepped up beside her. "It looks to be about King Meltos' reign. It starts out showing his coronation and onward."

Lily looked at the picture of a young tan male with curling, thick black hair. His eyes were crystal blue and he had a straight nose. He was quite handsome in his lavish purple robes and numerous diamonds, rubies, and sapphires adorning the robe.

Beside the coronation murals of the Atlanteans biggest accomplishments. There were studies of astronomy and biology. There was a mural of a vast library with numerous tombs and much, much more.

The next panel showed an old man with glowing white eyes talking to King Meltos. The old man was lifted in the air with blue robes whipping around him. His white hair and beard were blowing furiously in the wind.

"That is the prophet telling King Meltos about Atlantis' upcoming doom," Paul said. They continued to the next panel, which showed King Meltos ordering people to start stowing the secrets and treasures into the cave. The panel showed jewels, coins, and scrolls filing into the cavern.

"And here is the Librarian," he said, motioning to the next panel. The panel showed a middle aged man with white hair who was being given the Medallion and a bright red stone. "See, there is the Philosopher's Stone!" Paul exclaimed. "There is also a pile of manuscripts beside him." It was true, beside his sandal donned feet was a pile of scrolls.

"The Medallion," she exhaled, "see, it is right there!"

"Yes," James said. "All the clues are here."

The next panel went through the destruction of Atlantis. The bright blue, menacing waves of water came crashing down on the golden palace.

She moved onto the next panel and gasped. There was a giant painting of the Medallion. Huge pearls were inlaid in the exact same pattern as the true Medallion.

"You don't think…" James started, looking between the Medallion and the mural.

"It wouldn't be that simple," Paul said.

"What are you talking about?" Sirius asked.

"Maybe," Lily started, "the way to reach the treasure is to repeat the pattern we used to open the Medallion."

"It makes sense," Remus said.

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to try," James said, stepping forward and pulling out a piece of paper. Lily recognized it as the one that held the numbers that were used to open the Medallion.

"Ready?" he asked. Everyone nodded. James took a deep breath and started punching in the combination. Every time he pushed a pearl, a click sounded, alerting them to the fact that they were close.

Finally, the last pearl was pushed. James stood back as the Medallion split down the middle and slid open. A stone background was shown. In the stone was a circular indent with tinier circular indents inside it.

Lily knew exactly what it was for. She pulled the Medallion out from her shirt and stepped forward. She gently placed the Medallion into the circle and pushed. A soft click sounded and she turned it the right in one full circle. A louder click sounded as the stone wall slid open.

"We did it," she said breathlessly.

"No, love," James said, smiling down at her, "you did it."

Lily smiled back up at him. The group was about to move forward when another click sounded, this time on from a revolver.

"Ah, James, how _charming_," a sickeningly sweet and steely voice called from behind them. "I must thank you for finding the treasure for me. Now, say good bye, your uses are up."

A/N: I am so sorry that it has taken a while to update, but life has been hectic. Whew, now we know James isn't dead, but who is that with the gun? Hehehe, anyways, thanks for all the reviews, they are all really nice! Please keep reviewing!


	41. Chapter 41

James and the rest of the crew slowly put their hands up. Lily stared in horror as a pale man with black hair walked closer towards them. A haunting smile was on his face and his malicious eyes glinted just as much as the gun currently pointing at her husband.

"Riddle," James said through gritted teeth, "I thought I had killed you."

Lily gasped. This was the evil man after the treasure. He had almost killed both James and Paul.

"Yes, well, what can I say? I'm not easy to kill, James," his cold smooth voice said. "It was only a minor setback to my grand scheme. Men, tie them up."

James moved in front of Lily, but was quickly shoved away as two large men he recognized as Crabbe and Goyle roughly tied his hands behind his back and gagged him. He started struggling as he saw two other men tying Lily up.

"Now, now, James, no worries. Your crew will be fine. At least, as long as you are cooperative…"

James struggled more against his bonds and started screaming obscenities through his gag.

"Tsk, tsk, Captain Potter, that isn't very nice," Riddle mocked. "Men, continue onto the treasure."

Lily felt herself being yanked through the portal. Riddle and James (held by Crabbe and Goyle) were leading the party. It seemed as though Riddle had yet to realize that she was a girl and, even better, he didn't know she was James' wife. She needed to keep it that way for the sake of her baby.

The large group traveled through gold encased walls. A swirling pattern of diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires adorned the panels. She could see the men eying the splendor with hunger in their eyes.

One of the men moved to touch the gem. "Don't touch that," Riddle hissed. "What value would they hold if your mangy hands touched them?" The man sheepishly put his hands down.

They stopped as the hall opened up to a large golden room. There was a ledge, or balcony, overlooking a large darkness.

A long blonde haired man dipped his hand into a gold pot and sniffed the liquid.

"Kerosene," he said, taking out a handkerchief and wiping his hand. He grabbed a torch out of one of the men's hands and lit the pot.

Fire travelled in a path down the balcony and into the dark pit. Golden statues, piles of jewels, manuscripts, rich fabrics, and more were revealed as the fire followed a pre-constructed path of swirls and dips, revealing more splendors. The group let out a collective gasp in amazement. The treasure just never seemed to end.

Lily gasped as well. This was it; the magical splendor of Atlantis was in this massive room.

Riddle turned to face the captives with a sneer. "You must be proud of yourself, Captain Potter. After so many years of searching for Atlantis, I finally get it. You must be curious."

"I have my ideas," James said coolly.

"But they are probably not even close to the truth," Riddle said, smiling sinisterly. "You see, I heard about the Legend of the Pearl Medallion just in passing. I assumed it was a tavern tale, told to foolishly send men running after it. Imagine my surprise when I see a young man on a ship wearing said Medallion. I knew then that the stories must be true. I was furious when the man escaped from me, but I find myself pleased to see that he has returned," he said, walking over to Paul.

"Oh, yes, Mr. Evans, I have a special fate for you. No one escapes from me and lives to tell the tale."

"How did you stay alive?" James interrupted, taking the attention off of Paul.

"Now that," Riddle smirked, "is quite the tale. You see, once I fell into the water, I knew I was sinking due to the weight of my swords and pistol. I knew that I couldn't emerge in the same place I dell because where would the element of surprise be in that? Therefore, I shed myself of my weapons and swam under my ship. I climbed up to the closest porthole and was ready to kill you when I had found that you cowardly ran away. I knew that I had to plan my revenge."

"How did you know where we were, on both accounts?" James asked.

"It seems, Captain Potter," he replied, smirking, "that you have a rat on board. I warned you, but you foolishly trusted your crew." He turned around and snapped his fingers. "Will the traitor and esteemed member of the _Morsmordre _please step forward?"

A short fat man with watery blue eyes walked up the Riddle. He was giving James a condescending smile as he stepped beside Riddle.

"Peter, you bastard!" James screamed, struggling against Crabbe and Goyle. "We trusted you and you turned us over! Why, Peter?"

"You never treated me correctly," he sneered. Gone was his weak and stuttering voice and a menacing confidence replaced it. "I knew that I could rise above you and be more powerful than any of you could ever be."

"Oh, yes, Peter, you are _so_ powerful now," Sirius sneered, "groveling at the boots of Riddle. Sure, that makes you a man."

"I AM A MAN!" Peter roared. "Look who is standing here, free of bindings, gloating in victory. It's not you!"

James glared at him. "At least I still have my dignity," he spat.

"Dignity," he sneered. "You call standing here bound in front of you enemy, 'dignity'? You can't even protect your wife."

James paled. "Wife?" Riddle asked, smirking. "Captain Potter, you were wed and didn't invite me to the wedding? I'm deeply wounded."

"I'm extremely sorry," he said sarcastically, "you can still give us the present, though."

"Where is your dear little wife? Didn't leave her on the ship, I hope. I know she would love to meet me," Riddle said, walking towards the crew. James refused to even look towards Lily for fear of giving her away.

"Sorry, but she is on the ship. Delicate disposition and all, I didn't want her overexerting herself," James replied coolly.

"He's lying!" Peter screeched. Lily stiffened. James paled and Remus, Sirius and Paul all struggled against their bonds with the intent to strangle Peter.

"Tut-tut, James," Riddle said. "Lying will get you nowhere. I always find the truth eventually. Peter, find the girl and bring her to me."

As Peter moved to the hoard of crew members, Lily couldn't help but notice the men had shifted a little closer to her. She looked down at their bound hands and saw that they had already worked them undone. The ropes were only loosely wound around their wrists in order to appear secured. She glanced at James, as did the other crew members. He shook his head, _don't attack yet_.

Peter pushed the other members of the _Marauder_ away and roughly grabbed Lily. He pulled her over to Captain Riddle. Peter ripped the bandanna off her head and her long red hair swirled around her shoulders.

Riddle gave a smile that was meant to look enticing, but only looked more menacing. Up close, she could smell the putrid odor rolling off of him. She could see a red glint in his eyes that sent chills down her back.

"Ahh," his cold voice said, "this is the lovely Mrs. Potter." Riddle walked up to her and started circling her. "So pretty," he whispered, picking a lock of her hair up and smelling it. "So sweet, where did Captain Potter find you?" he asked.

"At a brothel," James interrupted.

Lily and Riddle whipped their heads to face him. James was smirking. Lily narrowed her eyes at him. What was he thinking? She looked to Paul whose jaw had tightened. She saw through James' act, he wanted her to seem unimportant, therefore unappetizing.

Lily then looked around for Pettigrew, waiting for him to call James out on his lie. Peter was nowhere in sight. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a fat pair of legs being dragged behind the crew of the _Marauder_.

"A brothel?" Riddle asked, raising his eyebrow at him. "Hmm, very interesting."

"You see, she just happened to stow away after a drunken night where we acted foolishly and married. Honestly, I've been waiting to get rid of her. She's a nasty little spit fire. She's caused more trouble than she's worth," he remarked lightly.

"Perhaps it would just be easier if I kill her then," he said, pulling her to him and holding a sword to her throat.

"NO!" A collective cry came from James, Paul, Remus, and Sirius as well as the crew.

"I thought as much," Riddle sneered, pushing her away from him. "No, I propose a duel for the release of the crew members of the _Marauder_ –"

"I accept," James said instantly.

"-with Mrs. Potter," he sneered, his eyes landing on her.

"I accept," she said, her head held high.

"Good show, Mrs. Potter," he said, smiling sinisterly. "Lucius," he called. The blonde man walked forward. "Untie her and give Mrs. Potter her sword."

Malfoy walked behind her and let the bindings go. Lily rubbed her tender wrists and took her sword.

"Lily," James hissed, "don't do this."

"I have to James," she said, kissing him before walking over to Captain Riddle.

"Now, we bow," he said, giving her a deep flourishing bow. Lily inclined her head. He smirked, "And now, we begin."

The pair started circling each other, neither wanting to strike first. Finally, Riddle attacked. His lunges were graceful, yet forceful, and Lily's arm shook while parrying each blow. He was strong, yet Lily knew he was holding back.

"Your footwork is quite good, Mrs. Potter," he remarked. "However, I must say that you are not putting enough power behind your blows."

Lily gritted her teeth, knowing he was only trying to get into her mind.

"Tell me, dear, how did it feel to have your dear husband refer to you as a whore? I wouldn't think that a true lady of gentle breeding like yourself would be able to stand such insults. Not to mention he called you 'weak minded'. Unless, you really are a whore and take pride in it?"

Lily tried to take deep breaths in order to calm herself. _Parry, thrust, parry, parry, thrust, _she repeated like a mantra in her mind. She had to block out his taunts.

Slowly, she could feel Riddle getting the upper hand. She was tiring and he hadn't even been trying his hardest yet. He had backed her up to the railing of the balcony. Their swords were crossed and she could feel the cold, hard marble pressing into her back.

"Come now, love, leave Potter and come to me. I will give you power," he whispered in her ear.

Lily smirked and Riddle smiled, assuming she was complying. He let up on her a little bit as she leaned and whispered in his ear.

"Never, you bastard."

With that, she lifted her knee and hit him in the groin. She then plunged her sword into his side.

"ATTACK!" she screamed.

The crew of the _Marauder_ ripped free of their bindings and grabbed their swords. Those of the _Morsmordre_ barely had any time to act.

Lily spun out of Riddle's grasp as she saw him tightly clutch the railing and hold him wounded side.

The sound of clanking swords reverberated throughout the massive room as the men fought. She saw the fighting travel down the stairs and throughout the treasure piles. Sirius was fighting a black greasy haired man and Remus was fighting a mangy, almost wolf-like man. Paul was fighting as well.

She ran over to James, who was currently disposing of the two bumbling idiots better known as Crabbe and Goyle. Lily leapt into his arms and didn't let go.

"That was incredibly foolish, love," he said, tears of relief falling down his face.

"I know," he said, kissing him. She pulled away and smirked at him. "Ready to kick some pirate arse?"

"Aye!" he replied, smiling.

James and Lily ran down the stairs and into the fray. They quickly made their way through the crowd, encouraging their fellow crew mates.

They were separated as James started fighting Malfoy. Lily fought over to where Paul was fighting. She helped him get rid of the menacing man and turned to face him.

"I'm not happy with you, Lillian Potter," he said in a reprimanding tone. "I don't know what you were thinking when you agreed to duel him."

"I needed to protect you and James and the crew. You all mean the world to me," she replied quietly.

He smiled over at her and kissed her forehead lightly. "I meant to tell you how proud I am of you. You will make a great mother, Lily."

She smiled back at him. "Thank you, Paul."

"How charming," a sickeningly sweet voice came from behind them. They spun around in horror.

Captain Riddle stood there holding his bleeding side with one hand and in the other, a cocked gun pointing straight at Lily.

"I believe we have some unfinished business, Mrs. Potter."

A gunshot rang out and two cries followed it. Lily closed her eyes, waiting for the impact. Instead, she was pushed to the ground by a heavy body. She could feel a warm substance seeping into her shirt.

Lily opened her eyes in horror. Green eyes like her own stared down at her, only, these were in pain. He let out a strangled cry.

"PAUL!" she screeched.

She saw Riddle and the remaining crew of the Morsmordre quickly make an exit. They knew it was a lost battle. Riddle was rapidly losing blood and needed medical attention. He was being hauled out between Snape and Malfoy, delirious from blood loss.

"Paul," she cried again. James gently lifted him off of her as she inspected the wound through teary eyes.

There was blood pooling out of a bullet sized wound in his stomach. She started tearing at his shirt, making bandaged and applying pressure to the wound to try and stem the blood flow.

"You'll be alright, Paul," she sobbed. "I promise. We'll get you to a surgeon and then you'll be as fit as a fiddle."

"Lily," he said weakly, lifting her hands off of his wound. "It won't matter."

"Don't say that. I just found you Paul. Damn it, you can't die again!"

"Lily," he panted through the pain. "When I –left you last time –I left not knowing –who would take –care –of you. I don't have –to worry now," he smiled up at her, tears coming down his face. He lifted his hand to her face and stroked her cheek. She grabbed his hand and kissed it.

"Shh, you need to save your strength," she sniffed.

"No, Lily. I'm dying –and you have James. I'll –be able to rest –in peace."

"I love you, Paul," she cried.

Paul closed his eyes and took one last breath before sailing onto his final journey.

A/N: I cried during that last part. Oh my. I know that some didn't want him to die, but it was necessary. Plus, I believe it showed his undying love for his sister and final approval of her life style. I know that I haven't updated in a while, but I hope this long chapter makes up for it. Thanks for the reviews and please keep them coming.


	42. Chapter 42

The crew stood around the weeping family with their hats off and heads bowed in reverence. Lily closed Paul's emerald eyes, just like her own, one last time. She felt James wrap a hand around her waist and kiss her head. She could feel his tears dampening her hair.

After a moment of silence, she felt herself being pulled up. She looked up at James who had a stony expression on his face.

"Men," he started, "Paul Evans was a true hero. He was a good man and upheld his morals. Never did he allow them to be compromised, even amidst the pirates he kept company with. Paul was fiercely loyal to all those he cared for. He went the way he saw fitting and just. He died protecting the ones he loved most. However, he shall not have died in vain. He died so that others could live. Remember that and remember Paul."

"Aye!" the men cried, lifting their swords to their fallen companion.

"Huzzah! Huzzah!" Lily heard the men chanting, all for her brother and his courage.

Lily wiped the tears that were streaking down her face. Paul died to allow her and her child to live. She would honor him and continue to live and fight. That's what he would have wanted.

She felt James' arm tighten around her. "I think it is time that we move on, dear," he whispered down to her.

"But what about his body?" she asked.

James looked down at his brother-in-law in thought. "Caleb, Dawson, please take the body of Mr. Evans. As soon as we get out of here, we'll have a proper burial."

A blonde haired man and a dark haired one nodded their heads and stepped forward. They picked up the fallen body of Paul and hoisted it between themselves. They nodded again once the body was situated.

"Right, men," James started, taking a deep breath. "Onward we go."

"Wait a second, Captain," a black haired man said, stepping forward. "What about the treasure? It seems such a mighty shame to come here and lose such a good person and then leave empty handed." Some of the men around him grumbled in agreement.

"Is that how you all feel?" James asked, looking at the faces of his crew. They all sheepishly nodded their heads. James looked over at Sirius and noticed him nodding as well.

James sighed and looked down at his wife in his arms. "Lily," he started, "what do you think?"

"I believe," she started carefully, "that Paul would be extremely disappointed if we came all this way and found Atlantis yet didn't indulge ourselves a bit."

The crew let out a whoop of joy and immediately dispersed. James looked down at her and hugged her. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," she replied, "I know that is what he would want. Also, it would be such a shame to waste a trip."

"Thank you, Lily," he said, smiling at her and giving her a light kiss. "So, I guess we should have a look around. What say you, Mrs. Potter?"

"Aye," she replied, giving him a small smile.

The pair set off and started strolling down massive rows. Gold, jewels, and books lined the shelves. There were marble statues that were even better than the classical Greeks as well as the Renaissance masters. Paintings were propped on the shelves that showed the Atlanteans true mastery of color, composition and shading.

They reached a section in the shelves that simply held leather bound books. There were no special markings or extravagant details on the covers. No gilded paper or encrusted jewels adorned the set. Curious, Lily picked the first one up.

She opened the journal and it let out a creak as only old books that haven't been read in centuries can give. The pages were cream colored vellum with a midnight black ink sprawling across the pages in elegant script. There were a couple of ink drawings, she noted, as she flipped through the pages. No smudges or ink blots marred the beautiful vellum.

Lily turned back to the front which appeared to have a title page. It read:

_The Diary of King Meltos_

_and his accounts of_

_Atlantis_

"James," Lily exclaimed, "these must be the diaries of King Meltos. Imagine what could be written in these! The secrets they must hold… it's incredible."

"Do you want to take them with us?" James asked.

"Do I want…? Of course I want to take them!" she exclaimed.

James just smiled as she stacked the five books and held them close to her chest. "So I take it that these are enough for you?" he asked, his eyes twinkling in mirth.

"Yes, I don't need any jewels or money," she said happily. "These diaries are a huge treasure in themselves. Also, I can't help but think that this is what Paul would want," she finished quietly, looking down at the books and lovingly stroking them.

"Lily," he sighed. "Your brother would be so proud of you." He started to hug her closer to him. "Just remember, he died so that you could live. Mourn him, yes, but he wouldn't want you to weep over him excessively. He would want you to have the joyous love and life he gave you."

Lily sniffled and quickly brushed away the traitorous tears. "He was like my father," she said. "He cared for me so much. I guess he felt this was the only way he _could_ or _would_ go out –protecting me."

James said nothing, but just nodded. The pair strolled in silence. They watched the crew members fill their pockets with jewels and coins. Sirius was currently fashioning a crown on his head as he pretended to cark orders out. The other men laughed at his antics and just pushed him off the pile of gold he was standing on.

After a good hour, James realized they should be heading back to the ship. Lily was looking emotionally drained and tired. All the stress couldn't have been good for the baby. He whistled out and called the men to attention. "Time to head out, boys," he called. Their shoulders slumped in disappointment, but they walked to the opening opposite of the one they had come in through.

James held Lily with an arm around her waist as the group headed out. Remus grabbed a torch and motioned for the others to do the same since the hallway looked dark.

James noticed Caleb and Dawson had grabbed the body again and were hauling it out on a makeshift cart they had made. He nodded gratefully to them.

The hallway was dark and narrow, much like the first one they had entered. As they continued, James noticed it was getting considerably colder. He hugged Lily closer as he felt her shivering. He didn't want her to get sick.

All of a sudden, a giant blast of cold air blew through the hall. James shielded Lily's body and looked at the flames of the torches as they spluttered, then died. The hall instantly became dark.

"Stay calm," James ordered in an officious voice. "Everyone link arms so none get lost. Eventually, our eyes will adjust to the darkness."

Sure enough, soon after, James could start to see the blurry shapes of his crew.

"Now," he said, "we move on." He tightened his hold on Lily and felt around for the wall. It was icy cold and slightly damp, but nevertheless, he kept a hold on it.

After twenty minutes of traveling in the dark, James could practically feel the tenseness radiating from his crew. He knew that there was a possibility of danger at any second, and he's rather not have his wife and unborn child in a situation like this. However, their need for safety just strengthened his resolve.

James squinted as he looked ahead. There appeared to be a darker circular entrance to something. "There's a room ahead," he called to the crew. "Maybe there will be some flint to light the torches."

The crowd made their way into the room and squinted in the darkness. There was no lighting there either.

Suddenly, a loud voice came booming out of the darkness.

"WHO DARES TO DESECRATE THE SACRED TOMB OF ATLANTIS AND ITS GREATEST KING, KING MELTOS?"

A/N: I am so sorry that it took so long for me to post. Between school and projects, I have been so busy. So, I hope you have a Happy Winter Holiday for whatever holiday you may celebrate and please remember to review! Thanks again and keep the review coming as they are so helpful!

P.S.: I am looking for a Beta. I wouldn't mind cleaning the story up a little bit, so if anyone is interested, I would really appreciate it. Thank you.


	43. Chapter 43

Everyone was frozen in terror. What was going to happen to them? Who was the voice? Had they been led to their ultimate deaths?

Lily pushed herself closer to James, pulled her sword out, and laid a protective hand over her stomach. She had slipped the diaries into her pocket. If she was to die, she was going to go down fighting.

All of a sudden, a huge burst of flame came in front of them. Instantly, the room was flooded with light.

Everyone covered their eyes and blinked furiously as their eyes adjusted to the light. It took five minutes until they could see a huge golden staircase. The room had walls with intricate carvings. They looked up as they saw movement at the top of the staircase.

"I asked," the figure said, "who dares to enter the tomb of King Meltos?"

"Captain James Potter," James replied in a strong voice, trying to put up a brave front, "and his crew."

The figure walked out of the shadows. He wore long dark azure blue robes that made his twinkling blue eyes stand out. His long white hair and beard flowed down with some intertwining gold strings and beads. He had a pair of half moon glasses perched atop his crooked nose.

"And what do you want with this tomb, Captain Potter?" he asked imperiously.

"Well, sir," James laughed nervously, "we were hoping to take some of the treasure and knowledge from here."

The figure started to descend the staircase. "You want to take the treasure? The treasure that His Majesty King Meltos worked so hard to protect? The treasure that has been here for centuries?"

"Er –yes?" James answered hesitantly.

The old man was silent as he surveyed the crew. Lily's eyes suddenly widened in realization.

"_James_!" she whispered furiously.

"_What_?" he whispered back.

"_I know who this is_!"

"_Who?"_

"_He's the Keeper of Atlantis_."

"You mean," James started, "he's the one that Meltos ordered to stay in order to watch the treasure?"

"Yes, it has to be him," she answered.

"You two," the old man said, his voice strong and commanding. He was pointing at James and Lily.

"Yes, sir?" James asked, gripping Lily's hand and moving to stand slightly in front of her in a protective stance.

"Come here," he commanded.

The pair moved jerkily to the stairs. They didn't know what this man would do to them. They stopped as they reached the first landing where the man had stopped.

He looked at them closely and Lily couldn't help but feel as though he was staring straight into her soul. It was almost as if he knew her every thought, hope, and dream. As disturbing as that was, the man made one trust him just through his eyes. He may have been quite foreboding, but Lily couldn't help but feel as though he was solely a good man.

"You both have gone through an extraordinary amount of trouble to simply come here to take a few baubles," he said, examining them closely. James and Lily visibly straightened, trying to seem brave in front of this foreboding man.

"Sir," Lily started, "we know that Atlantis' treasure isn't just gold and jewels. It offers so much more. The knowledge that this cavern hold –well, it is simply amazing! That is the reason we came in search of the treasure."

"You speak wisely, Mrs. Potter," he said, his eyes twinkling. The pair relaxed slightly as they saw this. "However, you are forgetting something even greater that this journey holds."

"And what is that, sir?" James asked nervously.

"The journey itself. You and your crew used your intelligence and showed your loyalty and teamwork to get this treasure. I have seen many before you try and fail to find the treasure. I have never seen a crew show such loyalty to their captain as your crew does, Captain Potter. You should be honored."

"I am, sir," James said, looking proudly back at his crew.

"You and your crew are the only ones to have successfully made it to the treasure and live to tell the tale. That is why I am going to allow you to keep only what you have in your hands. I'm also going to have to ask you never to return here again. Is that understood?"

Chimes of "Yes, sir" rang throughout the chamber. The old man nodded his head. He walked past James and Lily, and then the rest of the crew, stopping when he reached the center of the room.

The man started looking at the room, deep in thought. Everyone just looked at him in silence. They jumped when he finally spoke.

"It has been a long time since I have left these hallowed halls." No one said anything, but just stared at the back of the old man. He abruptly turned around, making the crew jump in surprise.

"I think it is time that I venture out." Everyone's mouth dropped in surprise.

Lily was the first to speak. "Sir, King Meltos gave you a job to do and you are going to abandon it?! After so many years of protecting the treasure, you would just leave it?"

A light chuckle escaped the man. "Mrs. Potter, your lack of confidence almost offends me. I will not leave the treasure unprotected." The man waved his hand and a gold medallion with a large, clear diamond; fell into the palm of his hand.

"This, Mrs. Potter, will allow me to monitor the treasure. It will alert me if the treasure is in any danger. Is that sufficient for you, Mrs. Potter?"

Lily, who's mouth had dropped in surprise at the show of magic (along with the rest of the crew's) simply nodded.

An awkward silence fell over the group, although the old man seemed oblivious to this. No one knew what to say to this strange man.

"Er –sir?" James hesitantly started.

"Yes, Captain Potter?" the old man asked calmly and pleasantly, his blue eyes twinkling slightly.

"I would –well, I –no, my crew and I would be honored to take you on my ship. You could go back to Jamaica with us… if that would please you, of course."

If it was possible, the old man's eyes started twinkling even brighter. "Captain Potter, it would be _my_ honor to accompany you on your journey home."

James smiled at the old man. He felt as though he could trust the man. There was something about him and those twinkling eyes. The man waved his hand and trunks flew to his side. James gave him a questioning look.

"Just a few personal effects, my boy," he said, winking at the captain. James could only weakly nod at the eccentric old man.

"Pigsly, Wilkins, take the trunks for this man," James commanded. Two strong looking men stepped up to take the trunks.

"Sir," James started, "would you mind leading us out of here?"

"Of course, dear boy," he replied. "If you all wouldn't mind, please follow me," he said, motioning with his hand to a discreet doorway.

James grabbed Lily's hand and placed a kiss on her forehead. "This is all almost over," he whispered.

She gave him a weak smiled. "I just want to go to Jamaica –to home."

James' heart couldn't help but swell when he heard her refer to is homes as theirs. It was nice.

The pair made their way over to the hidden doorway where the old man was standing.

"Thank you, sir," James said.

"Please, my boy, call me Albus, Albus Dumbledore."

A/N: I am sooooo sorry about the long delay. Life got in the way and I went through a major writer's block. Don't you just hate those?! Thanks for all the positive feedback! I really appreciate it and please keep them coming! Also, thank you to my beta muddyworm! I really appreciate the wait and quickly responding!


	44. Chapter 44

Lily stood on the cliff, staring out at the grey ocean. The wind whipped through her loose red hair. Her black satin dress flapped around her legs. She drew her emerald green felt cloak tighter around her shoulders.

She turned around to face the marble stone harshly erected in the freshly turned dirt. Kneeling down in the dirt, Lily placed a hand on the engraving that read:

_Paul Alexander Evans_

_1732-1753_

_Loving Brother, Son, Uncle, and Friend_

_He died so that others could live_

Lily brushed the tears away from her face. This was the second time she had to attend Paul's funeral and it wasn't any easier than the first. If anything, this one was harder.

Everything on the tombstone was true. People had looked at her dubiously when she asked that "Uncle" be put on her brother's gravestone, but he was the best uncle any child could have. Paul had died so that his nephew could be born. In Lily's mind, there could be no greater uncle.

Her hand drifted down to her swollen belly. It had been a quick journey home, and she was now five months along. Albus had used some of his magic to ensure that the body didn't rot on the two month journey home. She didn't know where or how the old man was magical, but she didn't ask. Lily took it as a quirk of his.

Ah yes, Albus, he was quite a queer man. Charming and trustworthy, but still odd. However, with him on board, the crew encountered no odd diseases or turbulent storms. Reflecting on it now, the calm trip must have been attributed to Albus.

She stared blankly at the grave again. She sighed. Poor Paul, he was too young and had so much to look forward in life. She was just thankful that he hadn't left her alone this time. It meant so much to James, she knew that he had entrusted her to him. Paul may have doubted James in the beginning, but Lily was pleased to know that he supported her choices.

Lily turned as she heard a voice call out to her from the path. She quickly (well as quickly as she could with her belly) stood up and wiped the dirt off her skirts. She brushed away her tears and turned to the voice. She saw her husband making his way to her, still dressed in his funeral garb of a black coat and waistcoat with burgundy breeches.

"Lily," he called again, standing in front of her. She saw the sorrow shining in his eyes as he gathered her into his arms. She felt the baby kick as if he could feel his father.

James pulled away slightly, but kept his arms around her waist. "He recognizes his father," he said proudly.

"You are so sure that it is a boy," she said, attempting humor, "What happens if the babe turns out to be a girl?"

"I think that my fatherly intuition is telling me that it is a boy," he said, playing along with her. "What about your motherly intuition?"

"Well," she started, "my motherly instincts are telling me that you may be correct."

He smiled down at her and kissed her lips. The pair was silent, just reveling in each other's presence.

"How are you doing, Lily-love?" he asked, concern showing in his eyes.

"Well, my back has been aching, I have some swelling in my ankles, and your son has been quite active, but I –"

"Lily," he interrupted, "you know what I meant."

She sighed. "Honestly, I have been better, James," she said. "However, I know that I'll be alright." Lily gave him a light smile and stepped out of his arms. She walked over to the tombstone, her back facing him.

"He's in a better place now," she said, her voice breaking slightly. "I understand that, but it is still so hard."

James walked over to her and placed and comforting hand on her shoulders, rubbing them slightly.

"It's not supposed to be easy. You loved him, dear, and he loved you. His sacrifice shows that. Paul practically raised you and you were much closer to him than other siblings are. He may not be here physically, but he is always with you, here," he said, laying a hand on her heart.

Lily turned to face him. He wiped the tears off her face and she gave him a small smile.

"Thank you, James," she said, wrapping her arms around him in a hug.

"This is what husbands do, love," he said lightly. "They comfort their wives."

She smiled up at him. "Come now, husband-of-mine," she said, "time to feed your wife and son."

With that, the loving pair made their way to back to the mansion.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Months had passed since the funeral, and Lily was becoming increasingly more irritable. James had been following her and nagging at her not to move about. She was due any day now and couldn't wait for the baby to come.

"Come one, baby," she whispered to her large stomach. "It's time to come out." The baby only rolled and kicked her hard.

"Damn," she sighed.

The last couple of months had been crazy. James, Sirius, and Remus had stayed in Jamaica with Uncle Jack whilst the crew, captained temporarily by a man named Brown, went pirating. Albus, too, was staying with them. He and Uncle Jack were getting along marvelously.

Once the funeral was over, James and Uncle Jack drew up plans for a cottage to be built for her and James. It was placed on Jack's property, but only a mile away from the mansion. It was to be finished in about a month and Lily couldn't wait to see their new home. James wouldn't allow her to see the plans or ride out to see it until it was done. He had claimed he wanted it to be a surprise.

James had become increasingly bothersome as her belly had grown. She reveled in her moments of silence, such as now. She was currently sitting out on the balcony in a chaise overlooking the gardens.

Yes, James had certainly become annoying. In fact, Sirius had as well –well, more so than usual. James wouldn't allow her to walk anywhere. If she needed something, he insisted that she ask someone. In fact, she was followed by Sirius if James wasn't there. If Lily so much as lifted a book, it was taken out of her hands and she was immediately chastised.

Needless to say, she had snapped a couple of times. Lily had screamed herself hoarse at both James and Sirius yesterday until their ears were ringing. They would let her do anything and she was bloody tired of it! Uncle Jack and Albus seemed like the only sane ones in the house. Hell, Remus even watched, no, hovered, over her.

However, it was funny watching James panic anytime she gasped or the baby kicked hard. It wasn't as funny when he would then coddle and fuss over her incessantly.

"Baby," she said, patting her stomach, "I think your father has gone mad."

"I resent that, Lily-flower," she heard a voice call from behind her.

Lily groaned. _Good-bye peace_, she thought as she shifted in her seat to look at her husband.

"How did you find me?" she moaned, closing her eyes.

"You can't hide from me, love," he said, smirking at her.

"Lovely," she muttered sarcastically. "James," she started, "if you want to be a good husband, you would simply sit out here with me and stay quite."

James smiled and sat down on the chaise with her. She snuggled into his loving embrace and sighed. Sure, her husband could be annoying, but it was moments like this that made it all worth it.

Slowly, Lily could feel herself drifting off to sleep. Finally. The baby had been moving relentlessly at nights and she had found it hard to sleep.

Just as she felt herself slipping into dreamland, she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen. She gasped and grabbed her stomach.

"Lily," James said lazily, his eyes closed, "if you are trying to scare me again, it is not going to work."

"James," Lily said, slightly panicked. "I'm not joking this time."

"WHAT?!" he said, his eyes flying open and abruptly sitting up.

"James," she said, taking a deep breath as another flash of pain ripped through her. "It's time."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Six hours and thirty-seven minutes later, on July 31st, a lusty cry filled the bedroom. James jumped up from his pacing in the hall and Sirius, Remus, Uncle Jack, and Albus all stood up. Jack came up behind him and clapped him on the back.

"Congratulations, my boy," he said, smiling. The others offered their best wishes and Sirius went to find the brandy.

James turned as he heard the door open.

"Master Potter," Rita said, smiling at him, "the Mistress Potter is asking for you."

James smiled at Rita and walked through the door. He saw that the windows of his room had been opened to reveal the starry night. Candles had been placed around the room, giving it a soft glow.

He walked over to the bed where his beautiful wife laid, their child in her arms. Her stunning red hair had been braided into one long and she was wearing a white nightgown. He looked at her for a few seconds, not moving as she cooed at their baby. Never had she looked as beautiful as she did now.

He walked silently over to the bed, smiling as he approached her.

"Lily," he breathed.

She looked up at him and smiled. "James," she whispered, "meet your son."

James sat down on the bed beside Lily. He reached out a shaky hand and lightly caressed his son's head.

_His son_. He had a son! James wanted to yell it off the rooftops and proclaim it to the world.

"Do you want to hold him?" she asked, looking up at her husband.

"Yes," he whispered back.

Lily gently handed the baby over to James who held his arms out. She instructed him on how to hold the babe properly and once she was sure James was fine, she sank into the pillows.

James lifted his eyes off his son and looked towards his exhausted wife.

"Lily-love," he whispered, "sleep now. You've had a long and tiring day."

She smiled up at him and closed her eyes. He placed a gently kiss on her brow and smiled.

Once his wife was fast asleep, James looked back down to his sleeping son. The babe had tufts of dark hair that already looked haphazardly arranged. He chuckled at the sight. His poor child would be cursed with the Potter hair. He had Lily's nose, but everything else resembled him completely. James wished his son would open his eyes so he could see the color.

As if the child could hear his father's thoughts, he opened his eyes. James gasped as he saw the emerald green staring up at him. His son had Lily's eyes! Nothing could please him more.

Then and there, as he stared at his son and wife, James vowed to protect them and love them no matter what the cost.

A/N: So, that's the end! I'm doing an epilogue and then it will all be over. I want to thank everyone for staying with me the whole time and reading this story. I also would like to thank those who took the time to review. It really means a lot to me! Thanks also to my beta, muddy worm!


	45. Chapter 45

~*Epilogue*~

Lily sighed as she rocked her son to sleep. Her son –Harry James Paul Potter. He was such an angel.

Once she saw his eyes flutter to a close, she smiled and kissed his forehead. Lily gently placed him in his crib and tucked the blue knitted blankets around him snuggly. She blew out the candle and walked out of the nursery.

Harry was now 15 months old to the day. It was All Hallows Eve and the island had cooled down considerably.

Lily walked down the stair into the cozy living room. The room was a white color and had a large bay window with teal curtains and gold embroidery. The gold couch faced the fireplace that had a cheerfully crackling fire. Plush teal and gold striped chairs were on either side of the couch and as Indian rug covered the wooden floor.

The room was currently bathed in firelight from the blaze. She sat in a chair that was positioned close to the warmth and pulled out a leather bound book.

She pulled her wrapper closer around herself as she was only in her nightgown and started to read the book. It was one of the tomes from Midos' temple. She was almost done with them, and they were extremely intriguing.

As she read, her hand fingered the key around her neck. It was a little gold key that had a ruby on it with her initials shaping in gold around it. It went to the trunk that held the diaries and medallion. If she and James should die, then they would go to Harry.

Normally, a young mother such as herself wouldn't have to worry about things such as death. However, this last year had been difficult. While everyone had been extremely excited about the birth of Harry, unfortunate events followed one after the other. First, James had received a letter 2 months after the birth that the _Marauder_ was shipwrecked on an island and the men either lost or dead. James had been devastated at the news and refused to be confronted for the rest of the week.

Then, there was a bad crop with the sugar cane. It seemed that salt had been poured into the fields, thus ruining it for several years. Uncle Jack had been furious about this and it wasn't until Albus assured him the he could remove the salt with magic that Jack finally calmed down. Luckily, the cotton was successful, so there was some sort of profit.

However, the worst had happened just a month ago. Uncle Jack had been murdered in his sleep. They had found him the next morning with his window opened and blood staining his bed sheets. He had been stabbed three times in the stomach with a note pinned to his sleeve. The note still sent shivers through Lily's spine.

She remembered James' face going from pale and then steadily redder as he read the note. It read:

_I told you I would kill all of your family, Captain Potter. Your crew was first and now your uncle. Watch out for your wife and son_

_-Captain T.M. Riddle_

James hadn't slept well since the scene and she didn't see him often. He refused to speak about it and she knew he had taken the loss of his uncle hard. He had taken the eminent danger of his wife and son harder.

James had assigned Sirius, Remus, and himself on daily patrols of the plantation. In fact, he had even instructed two burly slaves by the name of Samuel and Samson to stand guard in front of the cottage. The men looked intimidating, but they were extremely kind hearted.

Lily straightened in her seat as she heard the front door open and close. She immediately grabbed the pistol and sword James had given her so long ago. She raised both of them towards the door and took a fighting stance.

"Lily," she heard a voice call out. _Thank God_, she thought, instantly relaxing. It was only her husband.

"James," she whispered, dropping the sword and gun. She ran into his arms and gave him a fierce hug. "Don't you ever scare me like that."

He chuckled lightly. "Sorry, Lily-love, you know I didn't mean to." He then started to look around. "Where is Harry?" he asked.

"Oh, I finally got him to sleep. It wasn't easy," she replied.

He smiled down at her. "But I know you did it perfectly. Come, I would like to check on him."

Lily grabbed his hand and led him up the stairs to their son's nursery. She saw him standing up in his crib, holding the railings and looking as if he was getting ready to escape.

"Harry!" she scolded. "You are supposed to be sleeping, young man."

Harry giggled and said, "Ma, up!"

"Yes, yes, Harry," James said, walking over to the crib and picking his son up. "Did you stay up to see me, son?"

Harry smiled up at James, his green eyes shining.

"Must you encourage him, James?" Lily asked tiredly. James just smiled over at her.

"Come now, Lily, he just wants to see his father. Isn't that right, son?" James asked, looking down at his child who had currently snuggled his head underneath James' chin.

"Yeh," Harry whispered, his eyes drifting closed. James smiled as he heard his son murmur, "Pa."

"Unbelievable," Lily whispered.

"What?" he asked back.

"You can hold him for a minute and he falls asleep. With me, it takes at least ten."

James just smirked at her and placed a kiss on her forehead. Then he placed one on Harry's head.

"I'm sorry, love," he whispered, and then placed Harry in his crib. "Why don't we head downstairs?"

"Alright," she said, sighing. James smiled at her and wrapped an arm around her waist.

The pair walked down the stairs in a comfortable silence. James walked them over to the chair Lily had occupied earlier and sat himself down, pulling his wife onto his lap. She snuggled into his chest and sighed.

"What's wrong, Lily-flower?" he asked.

"I miss this. I miss you," she said.

"But I haven't left, love," he said, rubbing her back gently.

"No, but you haven't been with me. You have been so busy with the patrolling."

"Lily," he sighed, "you know that I dislike being away from you and don't want to, but I have to protect you and Harry."

"I know," she replied softly, "it would just be nicer if I could see you more often."

"I promise that I will try harder to be here, love," he said, kissing her softly.

"Thank you, James. I love you."

"I love you, too, Lily-flower."

The pair sat in a comfortable silence and slowly started to drift to sleep. Just as she was about to succumb to the darkness, she heard the creak of the picket fence.

Lily bolted awake. James stirred as he felt Lily stiffen. He blearily rubbed his eyes and moaned.

"Lily, what's the matter?" he asked quietly.

"James, I think I heard something from the outside," she said, panic slipping into her voice.

James instantly snapped awake. Lily jumped out of his lap and grabbed her pistol and sword that she had dropped earlier.

James got up quickly as well and grabbed his affect from the hall. He then ran to the front door and looked out the window. Lily followed him and went to look as well, but he pushed her back.

"Lily," he whispered, his eyes frantic, "it's Riddle."

Lily gasped. "James, we need to get out and hide!"

"There's no time," he said, pushing her up the stairs. She heard pounding on the door. "Lily, I want you to grab Harry and run."

"What about you?" she asked, tears streaming down her face as they stood on the stairs. She was clutching James' arms.

He placed a searing kiss on her lips. "I'll meet you at the mansion later," he said, hugging her tight and then pushing her back up the stairs.

There was another large bang on the door and it flew open. Lily had just reached Harry's room. She quickly opened the door and closed it behind her, locking it.

She rushed over to her son's crib and picked him up. Harry woke up and began to fuss.

"Shh, baby, it's alright, baby," she whispered, rocking the child. Harry stopped fussing and nuzzled his mother's breast.

Lily frantically looked around for a basket. Finding one, she placed Harry in it. She quickly knotted the blankets together and tied them to the basket.

She could hear the clanging of sword from down below. Suddenly, a gunshot sounded. Lily had to muffle her scream. She hoped that her husband wasn't dead.

Suddenly, a loud thud sounded and then the pounding of boots ascending the stairs. Panicking, Lily started to lower Harry out the window. She thanked God that the blankets were holding.

Once the basket was hidden in the bushed, she dropped the blankets. Just as she closed the window, the door flew open, chunks of wood flying. Lily screamed and ducked to the floor.

"Mrs. Potter, we meet again," a chilling voice said from above her.

Lily uncovered her head and slowly stood up, meeting the eyes of Captain Tom Marvolo Riddle. At that moment, she knew her husband was gone. As much as she wanted to scream and cry, Lily knew she had to put on a brave face and protect her son, the only piece of her husband that she had left. She had to be valiant.

"I had hoped never to see your ugly visage ever again," she sneered.

"Mrs. Potter," he said, faking hurt, "it pains me to hear you say that. However, I am not here to exchange insults. I came here to end the Potter line."

"Fine," Lily said, stepping back with her arms thrown open, "kill me."

"You know that you aren't the only Potter," he said, looking at her crudely.

"I am," she insisted, tilting her chin up.

"Mrs. Potter," he chided, "have you already forgotten about your son, or do you truly not care about him?"

"I LOVE MY SON!" she screamed at him, tears slipping down her face. She swallowed heavily. "My son is dead," she lied, her voice cracking. "He died from smallpox."

"Such a shame," he said, pleasure glinting in his eyes. "So it seems I only have one Potter to take care of," he said, raising his sword. Lily raised hers to match his stance.

"That would be correct," she said bravely.

"Good," and with that, he whipped out his pistol and shot two shots. Lily fell to the floor in a heap. The other veered right and shattered the glass. Shards of glass fell down into the bushes. One cut into the sleeping child's forehead, creating a jagged scar.

All that could be seen was a black cloaked figure running through the night to a dark ship, cackling mercilessly.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A wail came from the bushes. Albus Dumbledore looked out the window, startled.

He looked around and saw nothing. "Curious," he said. Then he heard the wail again. There was no mistaking it this time. That was the cry of a child.

"Could it be?" Dumbledore murmured, stealing down the stairs. He rushed out of the cottage and went to the bushes underneath Harry's nursery.

He carefully separated the leaves to find a woven basket with blue knitted blankets. Albus carefully lifted the blankets away to see a teary eyes baby with messy black hair.

"Harry," he breathed, his voice slightly breaking. He brushed away a couple of strands of black hair and saw a jagged scar on his forehead. It was almost in the shape of a lightning bolt.

"Oh, my poor boy," he whispered sadly, caressing the child's face and tucking that blankets firmly around him. "We must take you to safety."

He gently took the babe and basket through the gates and out into the night. He then made his way to the shoreline and looked down at the bundle.

"Your Uncle Sirius has been arrested, Harry. He betrayed you and your family. It was his job to take watch and he failed you. He allowed Riddle in," Dumbledore said, reflecting on the last couple of hours. "Your Uncle Remus, as you know, has been out on the ship looking for the _Marauder_. He won't be able to take care of you."

Harry just blinked tiredly up at the old man. Albus sighed. "Well, off we go," and with that, Albus turned and a pop sound was heard. There was only darkness and a slight breeze that stood on the shoreline. The old man with the bundle had disappeared.

A pop sounded in the dirt road on Rusberry Lane. An old man appeared with a basket in his hands. He walked up the long driveway of a South Carolina mansion. The lawn was perfectly manicured and the house crisp and white.

Dumbledore finally stopped at the burgundy front door. He gently placed the basket on the doorstep and looked down lovingly at the babe.

Finally, Albus placed a chain with a key on it around the child's neck and tucked it in the blankets. He then placed a letter addressed to a "Lady Dursley". Unconsciously, the child turned in his sleep and wrapped a hand around the letter.

"Good luck," he whispered, "Harry Potter."

And with that, the old man turned and walked away, leaving the special child on the doorstep.

A/N: THE END!!!! Thanks to all who stuck through it until the end and I appreciate each and every review. They really kept me going. I am hoping to do a sequel, and I would like to know if everyone thinks that is a good idea. Thanks also to my beta, muddy worm, you have been great! And thanks for the scar idea!


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